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MICROBIO320
Final Exam Question – worth 50 pts.
You were recently hired as a hot-shot microbiologist with a huge salary by a private
company. Here is your first big project:
Create your own microbe that causes a dread disease in humans.
You may or may not agree with the direction of the company, but you have a ton of student
loans to payback. You must work on this project.
To be successful in this mission, you must deal effectively with the following details:
1. Identify your infectious agent at bacterium, fungus, parasite or virus. Why did you choose
this type of organism? (2 pts)
2. Name your infectious agent and the disease that it causes. Why did you choose this name
for the organism and the disease? (4 pts)
3. Briefly describe Five major biological characteristics associated with you organism. (5 pts)
4. Describe epidemiology of disease – how when and where does the disease occur. (4 pts)
What region(s) of the world are affected by the disease?
Would this be an epidemic or pandemic?
What risk factors are involved with contracting this disease?
Where might the initial infection(s) occur?
5. What are the symptoms associated with this dread disease? (6 pts)
6. Mode of transmission/route of infection – try to be specific with regards this question. (4 pts)
For example – does it originate in the animal population and need to be transmitted via an
insect vector? Is the organism inhaled? Acquired by direct contact etc.
7. Pathogenesis of your infectious agent:
Is this an intracellular or extracellular pathogen? (2 pts)
If it is an intracellular pathogen does it reside in a vacuole or not? (2 pts)
Give specifics of this intracellular site – is it an acidic compartment or does the
organism modify the vacuole. (2 pts)
How does the pathogen continue to replicate in the host? (2 pts)
If it is intracellular, how does the pathogen exit the host cell (2 pts)
Does it evade host immune system…..if so, how? (4 pts)
8. How might your disease be treated? Name a specific class of drug or antibiotic. Is this a
long or short course treatment? (3 pts)
9. Describe the prognosis with and without treatment. (4 pts)
10. Describe how to manage the disease or a way to prevent acquiring this disease. (4 pts)