Brittany McElveen

Pathogen of the Year Writing Assignment:

Due: The week of the 23rd.
Pathogens are always in the news for a variety of reasons, and it is
your job to educate all of us about your favorite!
1. Choose your favorite pathogen (any microbe, doesnt have to be
bacteria)
Some good sites are the Centers for Disease Control and
World Health Organization
Please check with your instructor if you are not sure if your
choice matches this assignment
2. Create a pitch for your pathogen describing in some way why it
is the Pathogen of the Year.
Think of this assignment as if you are campaigning for your
pathogen
You may choose to be as creative as you want! Here are
some ideas you can choose (it does not have to be one of
these):
Poster
Commercial (must send via e-mail, on disk drive or
on USB)
3D diorama
Pamphlet
Short Essay
Song
3. The following things must be included to get full credit:
Full name of your pathogen (i.e. Escherichia coli)
What disease your pathogen causes
Symptoms associated with the disease
How the disease is acquired
How the disease is spread (if at all)
How many people are infected each year
If there are any prevention strategies and/or ways
to cure the disease
The goal is to become a mini expert on your pathogen, and to have
fun with the assignment. Please contact your instructor with any
questions.

Brittany McElveen

Pathogen of the Year

Name: Staphylococcus Aureus
Diseases/infections: skin and soft tissue infections, toxic shock
syndrome, pneumonia, and bacteremia.
Symptoms: Redness, swelling, pain at the site of the infection,
difficulty breathing, fever, and chills.
How its acquired: it can infect tissues when the skin or mucosal
barriers have been breached.
How its spread: most often spread to others by skin-to-skin contact.
Number of people: an average of 75,000 people are infected each
year.
Prevention strategies: keep wounds sterile and covered, keep your
hands clean, keep your clothes and linens clean, and do not share
personal items
Cures: treated with topical, oral, or intravenous antibiotics, depending
on the infection.