Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Part 1: The Enemy - Microbes

Indicate infectious disease and correct name and biology of the microorganism(s) involved including its global importance and relevance. In particular, identify any biological, social, economic and ecological issues underpinning the disease and the emergence of new and once controlled infectious diseases.

Part 2: The War - Infection and Transmission of Disease

Describe the pathogenesis of infection - how the disease is caused. How does the pathogen enter the body, cause disease and how is it transmitted? Describe the disease process from routes of entry to pathogenic mechanism (eg. virulence factors etc). Describe the mechanisms of disease transmission.

Part 3: The Defence - Host Disease (Immune defences and responses of the host). Outline the type of immune defences that might be operating. Innate and/or adaptive immune responses should be accurately and adequately named and described. If little or no immune mechanisms are induced, then talk about why and give a description of how the organism evades the immune system. (3 marks)

Part 4: The Casualty - Clinical Manifestations

What is the outcome of the infection? Describe clinical symptoms of the disease.

Part 5: The Victory - Diagnosis, Treatment and Control

How is the disease diagnosed? Describe diagnostic tests used. How are infected individuals treated? What strategies exist (if any) to control the infection (at the community/population level)? In particular, describe the efforts of State/Territory and Commonwealth governments and international agencies of the United Nations and World

Health Organisation in the management of the infectious disease outbreaks and prevention strategies.

Part 6: Case-based Question and Answer (not included in the 500-word limit)

Provide a case-based question and a possible answer (for example that could be used as a potential long answer exam question) based on the content you have provided for your infectious diseases topic. The question should:
(i) cover (test) knowledge and understanding of the content presented?
(ii) require more than recall of facts.

A 73-year-old woman in a hospital ward develops diarrhoea. There is no fever. She has been an inpatient for 3 weeks following a urinary tract infection that has caused a loss of control of her diabetes mellitus. She was treated with amoxicillin for her urinary infection.

1. What investigation should you send for now?

More info: The next day the nursing staff reports that there are now three other patients on the ward with diarrhoea.

2. What additional possibilities for the diagnosis are there?

3. How should this be investigated?

More info: The result of the first patient's stool sample comes back and shows that the patient has C. difficile toxin.

4. How does this fit in with the history that you have?

5. What is the significance of this result?

6. What further investigations should the laboratory perform?

7. What needs to happen to control the outbreak?

Part 7: Referencing (not included in the 500-word limit)

You must ensure that any references or materials that you have used to write your article are cited appropriately within the text AND in a bibliography at the end of the document.

(i). You should cite a minimum of 3 research journal articles;

(ii). You can search for papers using PubMed at the NCBI (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/);

(iii). The format for the in-text citations and Bibliography section should conform to the style prescribed in the 'Instructions to Authors' from a journal appropriate for the discipline area of your chosen topic;
- The journal's 'Instructions to Authors' should provide all of the necessary detail. If in doubt, consult recently published articles within the journal and Endnote.

(iv). Web links are only permitted where the material in question cannot be identified or sourced from conventional published material and should not constitute the sole or the majority source of information.

Part 8: Professional Skills
In your assignment, please put into practice professional written skills such as appropriate formatting, correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, correct English and scientific expression etc.

Assignment Topics

Upper respiratory tract infections
• Common cold
• Sore throats: pharyngitis and tonsilitis
• Infectious mononucleosis
• Parotitis (mumps)

Lower respiratory tract infections
• Laryngitis and tracheitis
• Diptheria
• Pneumonia
• Influenza
• Tuberculosis

Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Acquisition and etiology
• Pathogenesis
• Clinical features and complications
• Laboratory Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
• Gonorrhea
• Chlamydial infection
• Human papilloma virus infection (HPV)
• HIV

Gastrointestinal Infections:
• Bacterial causes of Diarrhea
- E. coli
- Cholera
• Viral causes of diarrhea
- Rotavirus
• Helicobacter pylori and gastric ulcer disease
• Parasites and the gastrointestinal tract
- Worm Infections
• Systemic infection initiated in the GI tract
- Viral hepatitis (HepA, HepB and HepC)

Eye Infections
• Conjunctivitis

Infections of the skin and soft tissue
• Bacterial infections of skin and soft tissue
• Cellulitis and gas gangrene (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, C. Perfringens)
• Fungal Infections of the skin: Superficial and cutaneous mycoses

• Mucocutaneous lesions caused by viruses:
• Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection
• Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection
• Measles

Transmission of disease by vectors
• Arbovirus infections
• Protozoal infections (malaria)