Bacterial and viral diseases are among the most prevalent illnesses affecting humans throughout the world. These diseases range from mild illnesses such as the "common cold" or "upset stomach" to potentially fatal illnesses such as aids or encephalitis. Today, many of these diseases can be cured by antibiotics or prevented by vaccination. Some, such as smallpox, have been virtually wiped out, while others, such as aids, continue to spread.

Students will choose a disease caused by bacteria or viruses, search the Internet for information about the symptoms, cause, transmission, treatment and prognosis of the disease. They will collect data related to the number of individuals who have the disease and where they live. They will also find information about the prevalence of the disease throughout the past century (ies).

This activity is designed to be included in a unit on Viruses and Bacteria in a Biology class but could be modified for use in a Health, Mathematics or Statistics course.

Students should know how to use a search engine on the Internet. They should have a basic understanding of viruses and bacteria and how they may cause disease. Students should understand the terms: symptoms, diagnosis, transmission, treatment, and prognosis.

Internet access. "Disease Research Report" hand-out and "Disease Statistics" Activity Worksheet. Graphing calculator or spreadsheet may be used.

To use the Internet to obtain information about a selected disease.

To create a table or a graph showing the current prevalence of the disease throughout theworld.

To generate a graph of the prevalence of the disease over the last century(ies).

To write an organized report presenting information about the selected disease.

Be sure students understand the terminology: bacteria, virus, symptom, diagnosis, transmission, prognosis, etc. Give examples of illnesses that are caused by bacteria (anthrax), by viruses (measles), by either type (pneumonia) and by neither bacteria nor virus (diabetes). Review the "Disease Research Report" hand-out to be sure students understand how the report is to be written. Then have students work in the computer lab to find the information they need to complete the "Disease Statistics" worksheet and their "Disease Research Report".

Note points allotted on the Disease Statistics worksheet. Also if they are researching a disease that is virtually non-existent today, such as smallpox, they should show a table or graph of the prevalence of the disease at an earlier time.

Evaluation of the written report should be based on the completeness of the information obtained with regard to requirements (a) through (g) on the "Disease Research Report" hand-out and the organization and clarity of the report.

!!!! Warning !!!! The Web sites given in this lesson may have changed! Before using this lesson with your students, be sure to check if the sites are still working or if you must find another site. Sometimes the sites still have the relevant data but you may need to change the directions to access the data.

If this project is used in a mathematics or statistics class, students need not find "biological" information about the disease they have chosen and should not be asked to write the "Disease Research Report". They should only find data related to the number of individuals who have the disease and where they are located and data related to the historical prevalence of the disease.

Useful web sites include:

In order to print out just a copy of the student worksheet, highlight this section, then copy and paste it into your word processor. You may then revise the worksheet if you wish.

Purpose:

To create a profile of an individual with one of the diseases listed below. You should find information on the Internet to describe the selected disease.

a. Description of a typical patient -- age, gender, occupation, place of residence.

b. Symptoms -- list the common signs of the disease.

c. Diagnosis – list the name of the disease and the seriousness of the disease.

d. Cause of the disease – genus and species or viral name.

e. Transmission – how the disease is spread from person to person.

f. Treatment – what can be done for the disease, possible cures available.

g. Prognosis – what is the chance of being cured? Will there be any side effects or permanent damage? Could the disease be "caught" again?

Write your paper in the first person, that is, as if you are the patient affected with the disease.

1. (4 points) Name two diseases that are caused only by bacteria.

2. (4 points) Name two diseases that are caused only by viruses.

3. (4 points) Name two diseases that can be caused either by bacteria or viruses.

4. (4 points) Name two diseases that are caused neither by bacteria nor viruses.

5. (4 points) Select a disease you are interested in from the list below.

Then do some preliminary search on the Internet to see if you will be able to find data about the prevalence of this disease. If you are not able to find any such data, choose another disease. What disease did you choose?

6. (25 points) Choose either 5 cities, 5 states, 5 countries or 5 continents and find how many people in those 5 locations have the disease you chose. You should report your data consistently for each location, for example as "number per 100,000" or as "percent of population". If you have chosen a disease that is virtually non-existent today, find data on its prevalence in the past.

7. (6 points) Give two reasons for the differences in the proportion of people with the disease in the above locations.

8. (15 points) Find historical data about the prevalence of the disease you chose. You may use any time span more than about 25 years depending on what information is available. Be sure to report your data consistently for each time period. Make a graph of your data showing prevalence as the vertical axis and time as the horizontal. Mark these two axes with an appropriate scale. Give a name to your graph and label your variables.

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1. (4 points) Name two diseases that are caused only by bacteria.

Tuberculosis, tetanus

2. (4 points) Name two diseases that are caused only by viruses.

Yellow fever, influenza

3. (4 points) Name two diseases that can be caused either by bacteria or viruses.

Pneumonia, meningitis

4. (4 points) Name two diseases that are caused neither by bacteria nor viruses.

Diabetes, angina

5. (4 points) Select a disease you are interested in from the list below.

Then do some preliminary search on the Internet to see if you will be able to find data about the prevalence of this disease. If you are not able to find any such data, choose another disease. What disease did you choose?

Tuberculosis

6. (25 points) Choose either 5 cities, 5 states, 5 countries or 5 continents and find how many people in those 5 locations have the disease you chose. You should report your data consistently for each location, for example as "number per 100,000" or as "percent of population". If you have chosen a disease that is virtually non-existent today, find data on its prevalence in the past.

7. (6 points) Give at least two reasons for the differences in the proportion of people with the disease in the above locations.

Poorly managed TB programs

Drug resistant strains of TB

Crowded conditions

Poor sanitation

AIDs epidemic

8. (15 points) Find historical data about the prevalence of the disease you chose. You may use any area of the world and any time span more than about 10 years depending on what information is available. Be sure to report your data consistently for each time period. Make a graph of your data showing prevalence as the vertical axis and time as the horizontal. Mark these two axes with an appropriate scale. Give a name to your graph and label your variables.

from http://www.ohd.hr.stat.or.us/cdpe/tb/98data/1925-98.gif

from http://www.jata.or.jp/images/EAFRICA.JPG