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Brain Eater, The
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Classroom Activity
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Objective
To experience the challenges of developing public health strategies.
- copy of "Public Health Task Force" student handout
(PDF or
HTML)
The occurrence of Mad Cow Disease illustrates the complex relationships among
science, public policy, and public health. Students can experience the
challenges of developing public health strategies in this activity.
Divide students into teams and distribute copies of
the "Public Health Task Force" student handout.
Have each team choose a disease from the list below, which
represent a diverse range of causes, communicability, mode of transmission, and
individual and social factors influencing their spread. Each team will research
its disease in Part I and devise public health strategies for limiting the
spread of the disease in Part II.
Conclude by having teams present and justify
one recommendation to the class. Encourage class discussion about each
strategy's effectiveness, implementation, opposition, and balance between
individual rights and public welfare.
Suggested Diseases
- tuberculosis (antibiotic-resistant)
- AIDS
- cholera
- rubella (German Measles)
- malaria
- infectious mononucleosis
- scarlet fever
- influenza
See Disease Facts in Activity Answer below for a brief summary of how each disease
is caused and transmitted.
From their research, students should be able to identify the cause of the
disease, the mode of transmission, and methods for prevention or cure. See
chart below.
Recommendations from each team will vary. Students may have to infer
information regarding actions and circumstances affecting the spread of
disease. Sample strategies for limiting spread of disease might be making sure
food is well cooked, wearing isolation gowns when caring for ill individuals,
using community water treatment facilities, implementing education campaigns,
and setting up quarantines. Students may want to consider familiar public
health campaigns, such as anti-smoking or AIDS prevention, as models for
strategies. As they prepare to support their recommendation, students should
consider the effectiveness of their strategy, how it will be implemented, and
potential opposing views.
Disease Facts

Disease |

Caused by |

Mode of transmission |
tuberculosis (antibiotic-resistant) |
bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis |
mainly through airborne droplets |
AIDS |
HIV retrovirus |
exchange of body fluids (primarily semen and blood), contaminated blood product, or hypodermic needle |
cholera |
bacterium, Vibrio cholerae |
fecal-contaminated food and water or raw/undercooked seafood |
rubella (German Measles) |
rubella virus |
airborne droplets |
malaria |
protozoan of the genus Plasmodium |
disease-carrying female Anopheles mosquito |
infectious mononucleosis |
Epstein-Barr virus |
airborne droplets or carrier's saliva |
scarlet fever |
bacterium, Streptococcus pyrogens |
contact with strep throat carrier |
influenza |
various influenza viruses |
airborne droplets |
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