Public Health meets Microbiology!

This was an excellent microbiology case study! It was very interesting, and I know that all students will learn a lot while working through this study. The nice part of this case study is th... See More

This was an excellent microbiology case study! It was very interesting, and I know that all students will learn a lot while working through this study. The nice part of this case study is that it allows students to investigate many different types of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, protozoans) while trying to figure out the diagnosis. This again would be a lesson that could be split into multiple days and used as a summative assessment during the unit of the course focused on microbiology and public health when they make their informative pamphlet on the infection.

Chagas disease? USA needs to know about it!

The article describes a 4-hour lesson on a disease-causing protozoan, Tripanosoma cruzi, that is not well known in the USA. The story line is engaging and explains a few different ways the ... See More

The article describes a 4-hour lesson on a disease-causing protozoan, Tripanosoma cruzi, that is not well known in the USA. The story line is engaging and explains a few different ways the parasite can infect humans. Since the “bug” that transmits the microbe can live as far north as the central part of the United States, people living in American should be made aware of its existence and the symptoms if bitten and infected. Although the lesson plans are not included in the article, they are made available through the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, and the URL is given in the article.