Lucky Lynn Abrera Microbiology and Parasitology

BSN1-B Activity 3

Analysis of the Movie “Contagion”

1. What country did the disease originate in? What two types of animals did this virus develop
in before it made the jump to infecting humans? Who was the first person infected?
 The country where the disease originates is in China.

2. What type of infectious agent was this, and what was its specific name?
 The agent is a paramyxovirus, which contains DNA from bats and pigs. MEV-1
(Meningoencephalitis) is its specific name.

3. What are fomites, and which character in the movie explained how fomites can be
involved in the transmission of infectious disease?
 Fomites are objects that, when touched by an infected person, can host viruses carried
by the person and transmit them on to a new individual. Dr. Erin Mears is a CDC
epidemiologist and she is the one who explained how can be involved in the
transmission of the disease. She is also in charge of the outbreak.

4. What is the difference between a sign and a symptom of disease? What are the signs and
symptoms of the disease featured in this movie?
 A symptom is a manifestation of disease apparent to the patient himself, while a sign is
a manifestation of disease that the physician perceives. The Signs and symptoms in the
movie are Hyperthermia, cough, seizures, headaches, sore throat, blurry vision, muscle
pain, progressing to dizziness and altered consciousness.

5. How long did it take a person infected with this disease to develop symptoms? About how
long from time of exposure to death? What was the average number of people that an
infected person would directly transmit the infection to?
 According to the film, a person afflicted with the sickness develops symptoms within 24
hours and dies after 4 days. The average number of people who were directly infected
by an infected person was four.
6. Why was the blogger Alan Krumwiede (played by Jude Law) considered such a threat?
At best he believed he was helping the public, at worst, he was just trying to make
money by exploiting the situation. Regardless, his actions were making things worse.
Explain how.
 Alan Krumwiede, who discovered forsythia as a homeopathic treatment for MEV-1. Alan
displays himself coughing and haggard as if he has infected by the disease, and then he
consumes forsythia. After a few days Alan appears to be recovered and cured, so the
people believed that forsythia is the cure that’s why they break into the drugstore
hoping to get forsythia.

7. Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard), a World Health Organization epidemiologist, was
kidnapped. Why? Did the kidnappers get what they wanted? Explain.
 Dr. Leonora Orantes was abducted as a ransom to ensure that the village was first in line
for the vaccine when it released. The Kidnappers get what they wanted, the goverment
gives 100 vaccines to the kidnappers for the release of Dr. Leonora Orantes.

8. Dr. Erin Mears, played by Kate Winslet, was an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer from the
CDC. She performed a similar role in investigating the disease as did Dr. Ornates. Their jobs
and their investigations in this movie can be compared to the work of what historical figure
covered in the History of Microbiology lecture?
 Dr. Erin Mears and Dr. Ornates tasks are to record data on the symptoms of the
epidemic and figure out what’s causing it. I believe their work can be comparable to
Edward Jenner.

9. Dr. Ellis Cheever (played by Lawrence Fishburne) was a medical official with the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. What did he get in trouble for doing, and why?
 Dr. Ellis Cheever get trouble after telling to his wife Audrey about Chicago and telling her
to leave.

10. Before a vaccine can be developed, researchers need to find a way to grow the infectious
agent in a laboratory. The problem with this microbe was that it quickly killed any in vitro
cells the researchers infected. What type of cell do researchers eventually find that allows
them to successfully grow the microbe in the lab?
 The researchers grown a microbe in the lab using macrophages, which are white blood
cells.
11. Dr. Ally Hextall (played by Jennifer Ehle) was the main character working on development of
a vaccine. She eventually injected herself with one of the experimental vaccines she developed.
She then went to visit her father who was sick. In doing so, she purposely exposed herself to
the illness. While visiting her father, they discussed the parallels between what she had just
done and the work of Dr. Barry Marshall. Who was Barry Marshall, and in what way was his
scientific work similar to that of the fictional Dr. Hextall?
 Dr. Barry Marshall, an Australian physician, made the historic scientific discovery that
the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is the primary cause of most peptic ulcers. Dr.
Hextall’s experiment was identical to Dr. Barry Marshall since he ingested a turbid, foul-
tasting solution of Helicobacter pylori in his body.

12. Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) ingested Forsythia when he began feeling ill, and he ultimately
did not get the disease. Why can one not conclude that the Forsythia prevented Alan from
developing the disease? Please give a detailed response. There are several reasons why we
cannot conclude that Forsythia cured him.
 Alan Krumwiede never had the virus and he’s not been sick, but he believes forsythia
cured him. Forsythia may be used to cure some symptoms of the infectious disease but
it doesn’t mean it address all of them.