Contagious Disease Research Project
In the time of “Swine Flu,” information is your
best weapon against infection.
Introduction:
For this project you will be writing a “memo”-style report on a contagious disease.
You will be assigned a contagious disease on which to do research and write the “memo”.
Content:
You should know that a contagious disease is a disease that can be passed from person to
person. There are four primary culprits that cause contagious diseases: single-celled
organisms, bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Which type of organism causes your disease?
What are its common and scientific names?
You will also need to describe how the disease is “caught”. This is called the “method of
transmission”. There are many ways diseases are passed from person to person. Some
diseases can only be transmitted through sexual contact. Some are transmitted to people
by animals. Others are spread through the air.
How is your disease transmitted?
Diseases create symptoms in a person which alert him that he has the disease.
What are the symptoms of your disease? (i.e. how would a person know he has it?)
Some diseases make a person feel lousy for a few days but they have no permanent effect
on overall health. Some cause life-long problems. Others will kill. Prognosis is a fancy
word that means how people will feel during the disease and how well they will recover
after the disease. Will there be serious problems during the disease or will death result?
What is the prognosis?
Most contagious diseases can be treated. Some cannot. Some are treated with bed rest for
a few days and some require months of many drugs and therapies.
Can your disease be treated?
How?
Some diseases have very particular characteristics. Some only affect certain geographic
areas. Some specialize in a certain lifestyle.
Is there anything particular or peculiar about this disease?
Does it have an interesting history?
You must have a Works Cited or the entire project is a zero.
Project is due by December 1st, Works Cited to Mrs. Grabenstatter by December 4th.