Question 1

Future drugs and vaccines for the use against Ebola

Pick an experimental drug, vaccine or other treatment that is being considered in the fight against Ebola. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/qa-experimental-treatments.html

Write a response to the following discussion question in the Discussion forum:

How exactly does the experimental treatment you have chosen work?

Provide a brief history of where we are now with the potential treatment.

How is it produced?

When do the developers of the treatment believe they will be able to begin experimental treatments?

Initial answers to the discussion question must be substantive and in the range of 350-500 words. Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines.

Question 2

CDC's New Superbug: CRE

CRE, which stands for Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, are a part of Enterobacteriaceae that are difficult to treat because they are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Occasionally CRE are completely resistant to all available antibiotics. CRE have become a nightmare to infection control in health care facilities. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/05/superbugs-infections-hospitals/1965133/ http://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cre/

Write a response to the following discussion question in the Discussion forum:

Describe one of the new superbugs such as CRE, MRSA, Clostridium difficile, etc. that are causing havoc in our health care facilities.

What strategies are being employed to combat these new threats to our public health?

Initial answers to the discussion question must be substantive and in the range of 350-500 words. Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines.

Question 3

2nd New Hampshire resident dies of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)

New Hampshire public health officials say a Manchester [Hillsborough County] resident is the 2nd person to die from eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus infection this season, summer and fall 2014. Public Health Director Dr. Jose Montero says the individual was exposed to the virus at the end of August and died in mid-September 2014. He says testing was complicated, and the virus was not confirmed until after the patient died. In the 1st fatal case, someone who became sick in the Conway, Carroll County, area in August died last month September 2014. A 3rd person also has been diagnosed with EEE, which is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes and can lead to seizures and coma. Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, and sore throat. These cases in New Hampshire are not surprising since they occurred within the geographical range of EEE virus in the eastern USA, where human and equine cases occur sporadically. As is usual, there are many more equine than human cases. There have been recent human cases in New Hampshire and an equine case involving a mule. The virus is maintained in passerine birds and transmitted among them by the black-tailed mosquito, Culiseta melanura. The species occasionally feeds on mammals and may have been the bridge transmitter in the above case. Clinical cases in humans are very serious, with a case fatality rate of 33 per cent and significant neurological sequelae in survivors. It is prudent to follow the recommendations above to avoid mosquito bites, particularly in areas where equine cases have been reported. http://www.cdc.gov/EasternEquineEncephalitis/

The first symptoms of EEE are fever (often 103º to 106ºF), stiff neck, headache, and lack of energy. These symptoms show up three to ten days after a bite from an infected mosquito. Inflammation and swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, is the most dangerous and common serious complication. The disease generally worsens quickly, and some patients may go into a coma within a week. People have an important role to play in protecting themselves and their loved ones from illnesses caused by mosquitoes. The group of viruses is known as arthropod borne viruses or Arboviruses and EEE is one of the deadliest.

Write a response to the following discussion question in the Discussion forum:

Discuss one of the mosquito borne viruses such as there are four main virus agents of encephalitis in the United States: eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), western equine encephalitis (WEE), St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) and La Crosse (LAC) encephalitis, all of which are transmitted by mosquitoes.

What recent outbreaks did you find on the Internet?

What strategies are being employed to combat these threats to our public health?

Initial answers to the discussion question must be substantive and in the range of 350-500 words. Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines.

Question 4

Hantavirus discovery now 20 years old

The New Mexico Health Department confirmed on April 19th 2013 that a 45-year-old McKinley County woman has contracted the 1st case of a hantavirus this year in the state. In 1993, a massive investigation by public health officials from federal, state, and local agencies quickly discovered that a previously unknown hantavirus named Sin Nombre virus was the cause of the illnesses, and the deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus was mainly responsible for excreting the virus in its droppings and urine. The virus killed 3 Yosemite visitors and sickened 6 more last summer. http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3010686.shtml?cat=504

Write a response to the following discussion question in the Discussion forum:

Describe one of the outbreaks over the past 20 years.

What measures were used to prevent transmission of the virus?

Initial answers to the discussion question must be substantive and in the range of 350-500 words. Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines.

Case study

At the Mount Union hospital, a 5-year old white male child in good general health and physical condition was presented at the Saturday walk-in clinic by his mother. He was brought in because he had a fever, was cranky and had complained of a sore throat for about 24 hours. On physical examination by the attending resident, the patient had a fever of 39.3° C, and he had considerable swelling and drainage of the pharynx and in the conjunctivae. His tonsils were enlarged and coated with a white patchy exudate. He had a red throat and swollen anterior cervical lymph nodes. His ears were clear. His chest sounded clear and he had no additional remarkable findings on routine examination.

Directions: Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. What would be your presumptive diagnosis for this child? Why?

2. What diagnostic testing would be indicated to follow this exam?

3. What is the most likely treatment for this illness? Why is it important?

4. What factors of this case allowed you to make a presumptive diagnosis?

Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines.

Case study 2

A 62-year old diabetic black man presents in the emergency room with a swollen left leg with areas of blanching and blue mottling. A "foul odor" is coming from a dressed wound. The physicians remove the dressing and a brownish fluid is seeping from a wounded area. The fluid contains what appear to be small bits of the tissue. No pus appears to be present. The wound has a strong "rotten" odor.

Five days earlier, while at his work as a farmer, he caught the leg in his manure spreader, sustaining a deep, crushing, grossly dirty injury. His wife cleaned the wound as well as she could with soap and water, dressed it with clean gauze, and wrapped it tightly with an elastic bandage to stop the bleeding. The second day they redressed the wound and applied triple antibiotic ointment. The patient treated his pain with ibuprofen (Advil). He reported the pain was not very bad for the first 72 hours. In the past 24 hours, the leg swelled and the mottling began to appear. A foul odor and severe pain accompanied the swelling. His wife convinced him to come to the emergency room even though they did not have medical insurance.

Directions: Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. What is your diagnosis in this case?

2. How should this wound be treated?

3. Is this a life-threatening condition?

4. Is it likely that the patient's diabetes contributed to the problem as presented?

Any references used should be properly cited following APA formatting guidelines.