At the beginning of our project and research, back in the day before our green light approval, we developed an essential question. It went something like this:
What social, economic, or environmental factors cause the sub-Saharan African "Meningitis Belt" to have large epidemics of Meningitis which rarely occur in first-world countries?
After days of hard labor and blogging, can I answer my own question? Well, yes. I believe I can.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the funding for medical treatment and meningitis prevention is not available. People do not have easy access to vaccination, and cannot pay for it. Once infected with meningitis, it is more difficult to recieve treatment in the Meningitis Belt than in wealthy nations. People live in less sanitary conditions and in closer contact with one another. The Meningitis Belt's dry weather and dust storms weaken immune systems, making the disease even more easily spread.
That is my short and not-so-sweet answer to our Essential Question. For more information, read the blog.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
The Project Progress
Miles has built an absolutely awesome larger than life syringe. Once it is painted realistically, I will have to concentrate on not fainting anytime I am near it. Today, I am bringing in the finalizing materials (sand paper, paint, etc.). I also bought some clear sticker paper that I thought maybe we could print the text onto. I know typing it would be better than my handwriting.
I have started thinking about the text for the measurement lines, but I need to decide on a format with Raya before I write it.
Also, if you're reading Raya's blog too, I want to assure you that falling off my rocker isn't a very long drop.
I have started thinking about the text for the measurement lines, but I need to decide on a format with Raya before I write it.
Also, if you're reading Raya's blog too, I want to assure you that falling off my rocker isn't a very long drop.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
The Rest of Them Questions
There are people I know who actually use 'them' incorrectly, like in my title. I also have family that says worsh instead of wash.
Back to the Questions:
What is the known background/history of the disease?
Meningitis was first recorded after an outbreak in Geneva, Switzerland in 1805. The causative bacteria was not discovered until 1887. Since then, epidemics of meningitis as well as sporadic cases have occured world wide. The Meningitis belt has epidemics most frequently.
What are the symtoms?
Symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, and nausea. In the "advanced" staged of the disease, bruising on the skin is common and seizures may develop. (http://www.dhpe.org/infect/Bacmeningitis.html The directors of Health Promotion and Education)
How does it affect humans?
Bacterial Meningitis has lead to a vaccine, which people are highly encouraged to recieve. Humanitarian aid groups work to vaccinate people in poorer nations. Epidemics plague entire populations. This question is confusing, just like my answer.
On the cellular level, how does it 'work'?
Although I'm not certain, I believe that when the bacteria infects the meninges, the body's attempt to combat the bacteria causes swelling. This leads to the symptoms as well as the possible long-lasting effects (brain damage; death).
Who does it affect?
The sporadic cases in the first- world affect people living in close contact (college students, children in day care). On the global scale, people in third-world countries are more likely to get the disease, especially those living in the Meningitis Belt in sub-Saharan Africa.
How is it aquired?
The bacteria that cause meningitis are not uncommon. They are often present in the nose or throat without causing any harm. Occasionally the bacteria break through to the meninges. This causes an initial case of meningitis. Meningitis spreads through respiratory droplets of infected persons. (Merck http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec06/ch089/ch089b.html)
How is it percieved by the public?
I haven't been able to find a strange social connotation for Meningitis.
Can it be prevented?
Several preventative vaccines are available for meningitis. Epidemics of meningitis can be prevented with early treatment and preventative vaccines and treatments for those who are at risk.
Religious/Social Institutions: This section of questions, about the way religion and the disease collide did not apply to Bacterial Meningitis (as far as I or my partners could tell). As for social institutions, there has been a big push recently for college students and younger adolescents to get vaccinated and humanitarian groups support vaccination and education about Meningitis worldwide.
Back to the Questions:
What is the known background/history of the disease?
Meningitis was first recorded after an outbreak in Geneva, Switzerland in 1805. The causative bacteria was not discovered until 1887. Since then, epidemics of meningitis as well as sporadic cases have occured world wide. The Meningitis belt has epidemics most frequently.
What are the symtoms?
Symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, and nausea. In the "advanced" staged of the disease, bruising on the skin is common and seizures may develop. (http://www.dhpe.org/infect/Bacmeningitis.html The directors of Health Promotion and Education)
How does it affect humans?
Bacterial Meningitis has lead to a vaccine, which people are highly encouraged to recieve. Humanitarian aid groups work to vaccinate people in poorer nations. Epidemics plague entire populations. This question is confusing, just like my answer.
On the cellular level, how does it 'work'?
Although I'm not certain, I believe that when the bacteria infects the meninges, the body's attempt to combat the bacteria causes swelling. This leads to the symptoms as well as the possible long-lasting effects (brain damage; death).
Who does it affect?
The sporadic cases in the first- world affect people living in close contact (college students, children in day care). On the global scale, people in third-world countries are more likely to get the disease, especially those living in the Meningitis Belt in sub-Saharan Africa.
How is it aquired?
The bacteria that cause meningitis are not uncommon. They are often present in the nose or throat without causing any harm. Occasionally the bacteria break through to the meninges. This causes an initial case of meningitis. Meningitis spreads through respiratory droplets of infected persons. (Merck http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec06/ch089/ch089b.html)
How is it percieved by the public?
I haven't been able to find a strange social connotation for Meningitis.
Can it be prevented?
Several preventative vaccines are available for meningitis. Epidemics of meningitis can be prevented with early treatment and preventative vaccines and treatments for those who are at risk.
Religious/Social Institutions: This section of questions, about the way religion and the disease collide did not apply to Bacterial Meningitis (as far as I or my partners could tell). As for social institutions, there has been a big push recently for college students and younger adolescents to get vaccinated and humanitarian groups support vaccination and education about Meningitis worldwide.
Monday, June 4, 2007
The Project Questions
For this project we were given a list of questions to direct our research in addition to the two essential questions. Here they are with their answers. My goal here is to know the answers to the questions, so I was not careful in my paraphrasing and there is very little analysis.
How was the disease discovered?
Menincococcal Meningitis was first described in 1805, when an outbreak spread through Geneva, Switzerland. The bacteria which caused this outbreak was identified in 1887. (This information is from the WHO's website :http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/)
What are the social connotation for the disease? How have these evolved over time?
In my research, I have not found information regarding a public attitude or social connotation regarding meningitis. In the meningitis belt, especially during an epidemic, nearly everyone is susceptible to the disease. In other areas, cases are more sporadic and the disease doesn't seem to receive much attention from the public at all.
Why are some cultures better equipped to combat the disease?
As I have said in previous posts, richer areas can afford preventative measures and treatments. This stops the disease early and prevents epidemics. In poor areas, there is less access to treatment, and less access to preventative vaccines. In the African Meningitis Belt, unstable conditions and an inconvenient climate make combating Meningitis much more difficult.
How has the disease changed or evolved over time?
Although I have been unable to find a history of the disease, I know that treatment, prevention, and prognosis have changed. Before anti-biotics, most people who contracted bacterial meningitis died of it. Those who did not die suffered permanent damage. With anti-biotics, meningitis patients can be treated with anti-biotics and make a full recovery. Also, there are preventative vaccines now which are recommended for the people who are most at risk.
Who has access to the drug?
The vaccines and anti-biotic are more readily available in the United States and other wealthy nations. It is possible, however, to get treatment (anti-biotics) around the world.
What impact does location in the world have on: a) exposure to the disease? b) conditions that cause it?
An outbreak can occur anywhere where people are in contact with each other. However, one is more susceptible to the disease in an area where there is less treatment. Living in close contact with others also leads to more spreading of the disease. The most recent epidemic outside of the Meningitis Belt was in Mongolia (WHO website from above). The meningitis belt in sub-Saharan Africa has large epidemics and more cases of Meningitis because of their dry climate.
How has the disease evolved due to human or animal migration?
As I understand it, Meningitis has always shown up sporadically around the world. During epidemics, the disease will sometimes spread due to travel and seasonal migrations.
How does climate affect exposure to the disease?
There is some detail about this in my previous posts, but in the Meningitis belt, dry weather and dust storms harm muccosal barriers making people less immune to the disease.
What drug is used to treat the disease?
For this project, I have focused my research on penicillin, other anti-biotics can be used. There are also preventative vaccines.
How does the drug work in regard to interaction with biological systems?
Penicillin breaks down the bacterial cell walls making it impossible for the bacteria to "reproduce." This cures the disease.
How was the drug developed?
Penicillin is derived from penicillium molds. The anti-bacterial properties of these molds were discovered long before the drug was tested. During WWII, English scientists began research into the development of the drug. Because of the high cost of research, these scientist could not get the funding they needed in England in the midst of the war. Because of this, they were forced to move their research to the United States. When the drug was first used, it was used only by the allies.
Who has access to the drug?
Although a majority of the world's penicillin is manufactured in China, the drug is available to anyone with money.
What is the cost of the drug?
How was the disease discovered?
Menincococcal Meningitis was first described in 1805, when an outbreak spread through Geneva, Switzerland. The bacteria which caused this outbreak was identified in 1887. (This information is from the WHO's website :http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/)
What are the social connotation for the disease? How have these evolved over time?
In my research, I have not found information regarding a public attitude or social connotation regarding meningitis. In the meningitis belt, especially during an epidemic, nearly everyone is susceptible to the disease. In other areas, cases are more sporadic and the disease doesn't seem to receive much attention from the public at all.
Why are some cultures better equipped to combat the disease?
As I have said in previous posts, richer areas can afford preventative measures and treatments. This stops the disease early and prevents epidemics. In poor areas, there is less access to treatment, and less access to preventative vaccines. In the African Meningitis Belt, unstable conditions and an inconvenient climate make combating Meningitis much more difficult.
How has the disease changed or evolved over time?
Although I have been unable to find a history of the disease, I know that treatment, prevention, and prognosis have changed. Before anti-biotics, most people who contracted bacterial meningitis died of it. Those who did not die suffered permanent damage. With anti-biotics, meningitis patients can be treated with anti-biotics and make a full recovery. Also, there are preventative vaccines now which are recommended for the people who are most at risk.
Who has access to the drug?
The vaccines and anti-biotic are more readily available in the United States and other wealthy nations. It is possible, however, to get treatment (anti-biotics) around the world.
What impact does location in the world have on: a) exposure to the disease? b) conditions that cause it?
An outbreak can occur anywhere where people are in contact with each other. However, one is more susceptible to the disease in an area where there is less treatment. Living in close contact with others also leads to more spreading of the disease. The most recent epidemic outside of the Meningitis Belt was in Mongolia (WHO website from above). The meningitis belt in sub-Saharan Africa has large epidemics and more cases of Meningitis because of their dry climate.
How has the disease evolved due to human or animal migration?
As I understand it, Meningitis has always shown up sporadically around the world. During epidemics, the disease will sometimes spread due to travel and seasonal migrations.
How does climate affect exposure to the disease?
There is some detail about this in my previous posts, but in the Meningitis belt, dry weather and dust storms harm muccosal barriers making people less immune to the disease.
What drug is used to treat the disease?
For this project, I have focused my research on penicillin, other anti-biotics can be used. There are also preventative vaccines.
How does the drug work in regard to interaction with biological systems?
Penicillin breaks down the bacterial cell walls making it impossible for the bacteria to "reproduce." This cures the disease.
How was the drug developed?
Penicillin is derived from penicillium molds. The anti-bacterial properties of these molds were discovered long before the drug was tested. During WWII, English scientists began research into the development of the drug. Because of the high cost of research, these scientist could not get the funding they needed in England in the midst of the war. Because of this, they were forced to move their research to the United States. When the drug was first used, it was used only by the allies.
Who has access to the drug?
Although a majority of the world's penicillin is manufactured in China, the drug is available to anyone with money.
What is the cost of the drug?
According to this site, http://www.lhepner.com/janfeb05news.html, it is about $5/bou. I don't know what that means, but all the information I found seems to say that penicillin is cheap.
Are there potentially detrimental side effects?The most common side effects are things like diarrhea and upset stomach. However, severe penicillin allergies are not uncommon.
Are there more than one possible treatments? What are they?
Other anti-biotics can be used to treat meningitis as well. Oily chloramphenicol is often used during epidemics in Africa. Meningitis patients are also sometimes given medication for pain and fever, such as acetaminophen.More to come...
Friday, June 1, 2007
An Apology in Advance
I know that you love my overexagerrated whiny sarcastic blogger attitude, but I feel that I may have to cut back on it now that we are deeper into the project. I will need to be working on the text for the final project. I wanted to warn you that my posts will probably be drafts for this and this might cause them to be a little less interesting. Thank you for being devoted to me, and for reading through this boring period.
A Nickel for Miles' Thoughts
Here's what Miles thinks so far:
"Whirlwind Heat is probably one of my favorite bands right now. I also like cookie dough. Now, to the project: So as you already know, we are building a penicillin hypodermic needle. We have all the supplies needed in order to complete the product. This weekend, I will be constructing the needle. It's going to be very cool and hopefully very professional. When we get back on Monday, we will be making the needle look more like it's final product stage. It's going to look really good. I'm really excited. We do need to also get what our text is going to be. I also like Frank Zappa"
A Response (I'm charging 4 cents for this):
I like cookie dough too, but I don't want my blog to be a commentary on my taste in music. I did know that we were building a needle. Thank you for getting all of the materials together. I will be bring paint in on Monday. As I said in my last post, I'm going to try to start working on the text portion of the project this weekend. Raya is planning to work on the text when she gets back also. I hope you're right about how awesome our projuct will be.
"Whirlwind Heat is probably one of my favorite bands right now. I also like cookie dough. Now, to the project: So as you already know, we are building a penicillin hypodermic needle. We have all the supplies needed in order to complete the product. This weekend, I will be constructing the needle. It's going to be very cool and hopefully very professional. When we get back on Monday, we will be making the needle look more like it's final product stage. It's going to look really good. I'm really excited. We do need to also get what our text is going to be. I also like Frank Zappa"
A Response (I'm charging 4 cents for this):
I like cookie dough too, but I don't want my blog to be a commentary on my taste in music. I did know that we were building a needle. Thank you for getting all of the materials together. I will be bring paint in on Monday. As I said in my last post, I'm going to try to start working on the text portion of the project this weekend. Raya is planning to work on the text when she gets back also. I hope you're right about how awesome our projuct will be.
A Penny for Raya's Thought
How Raya thinks the project is going:
"Okay, this project is not going. We have all the materials and have done nothing with them. I'm not going to be here this weekend, so I'm not doing anything. Miles says we get to paint on Monday if we're lucky and I'm excited about that because I like to paint. Me and Samara still have to look for text for the measurement line thing and I'm not looking forward to that because umm, yeah. I think Samara should get a meningitis shot so her limbs don't fall off, but if her limbs do fall off, my neighbor can make her new arms and legs. When I'm in college, and I read the newspaper where the obituaries are and if Samara's name is there from dying of meningitis, I will cry because I didn't force her to get the shot. So, Samara, don't die of meningitis. Anyways, back to the project, umm, I think one day, I'm going to go to the meningitis belt and go on a safari to see zebras and elephants. Meningitis is a interesting disease. I think it would scare me if I had meningitis because I think I had the flu or something. That's why I'm going to get the meningitis shot, unlike Samara.
P.S. My thoughts are worth more than a penny."
A response for Raya: I spoke with Miles and he is planning to complete much of the construction part of the project this weekend. I offered to go help him, but he thinks that me going up there would be more trouble than it's worth. I don't think you should feel guilty about not being here this weekend since he does not need help anyway. I am bringing paint in on Monday so that we can begin painting and finalization of the "constuction phase." If I have enough time this weekend after working on my short story, I will start to write the text for the measurement lines.
I realize that not getting vaccinations is irresponsible and dangerous. I also realize that my fear is irrational. Still, everytime I know I will be recieving a shot, I get extremely anxious and tense. The feeling takes a while to dissipate after the shot. I hope that I will be able to build up the courage for the shot before I live in the dorms.
I agree that learning about Meningitis has been interesting.
"Okay, this project is not going. We have all the materials and have done nothing with them. I'm not going to be here this weekend, so I'm not doing anything. Miles says we get to paint on Monday if we're lucky and I'm excited about that because I like to paint. Me and Samara still have to look for text for the measurement line thing and I'm not looking forward to that because umm, yeah. I think Samara should get a meningitis shot so her limbs don't fall off, but if her limbs do fall off, my neighbor can make her new arms and legs. When I'm in college, and I read the newspaper where the obituaries are and if Samara's name is there from dying of meningitis, I will cry because I didn't force her to get the shot. So, Samara, don't die of meningitis. Anyways, back to the project, umm, I think one day, I'm going to go to the meningitis belt and go on a safari to see zebras and elephants. Meningitis is a interesting disease. I think it would scare me if I had meningitis because I think I had the flu or something. That's why I'm going to get the meningitis shot, unlike Samara.
P.S. My thoughts are worth more than a penny."
A response for Raya: I spoke with Miles and he is planning to complete much of the construction part of the project this weekend. I offered to go help him, but he thinks that me going up there would be more trouble than it's worth. I don't think you should feel guilty about not being here this weekend since he does not need help anyway. I am bringing paint in on Monday so that we can begin painting and finalization of the "constuction phase." If I have enough time this weekend after working on my short story, I will start to write the text for the measurement lines.
I realize that not getting vaccinations is irresponsible and dangerous. I also realize that my fear is irrational. Still, everytime I know I will be recieving a shot, I get extremely anxious and tense. The feeling takes a while to dissipate after the shot. I hope that I will be able to build up the courage for the shot before I live in the dorms.
I agree that learning about Meningitis has been interesting.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Have I Mentioned Our Project
Tonight Miles is getting the materials for our syringe. We will begin construction soon. Raya and I are planning to work on the written portion of the syringe
This is a drawing which Miles worked on and scanned in. This process took up much of his precious time. 
I was given special permission from the artist to display the above image.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A Serious Post
I generally like to cut down on lengthy quotes, but I don't think I can paraphrase this any better. This is from a United Nations website on sub-Saharan Africa.
"Unfortunately, efforts to eradicate poverty, empower women, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health in the region continue to be severely undercut by the devastating AIDS pandemic and by massive human displacements in the wake of natural disasters, violent conflicts and debilitating political strife. In a region that is home to more than 60 per cent of the world's HIV-positive people, halting and reversing the spread of HIV, as well as addressing related issues of malaria and tuberculosis, must be among the highest priorities. Addressing the reproductive health needs of the millions of women and adolescents currently at risk for contracting the infection is critical to this effort. Two-thirds of those newly infected with HIV in the region are women. About 7 per cent of young women and 2.2 per cent of men aged 15-24 years in sub-Saharan Africa were living with HIV at the end of 2004."
Although I don't feel like I can say that all of this relates to the Meningitis epidemics, much of it could relate. Other diseases (AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis), also spread quickly through the region and infections like these could easily lead to weakened immune systems making people even more susceptible to other illnesses. "Human displacements" would logically lead to the spread of disease. Conflicts and political strife pull governmental focus away from protecting their citizens health and everyday needs.
I still need to know what the social and religious culture is like to know how that affects the spread of meningitis in the Meningitis Belt. I also would like to know more about living conditions.
"Unfortunately, efforts to eradicate poverty, empower women, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health in the region continue to be severely undercut by the devastating AIDS pandemic and by massive human displacements in the wake of natural disasters, violent conflicts and debilitating political strife. In a region that is home to more than 60 per cent of the world's HIV-positive people, halting and reversing the spread of HIV, as well as addressing related issues of malaria and tuberculosis, must be among the highest priorities. Addressing the reproductive health needs of the millions of women and adolescents currently at risk for contracting the infection is critical to this effort. Two-thirds of those newly infected with HIV in the region are women. About 7 per cent of young women and 2.2 per cent of men aged 15-24 years in sub-Saharan Africa were living with HIV at the end of 2004."
Although I don't feel like I can say that all of this relates to the Meningitis epidemics, much of it could relate. Other diseases (AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis), also spread quickly through the region and infections like these could easily lead to weakened immune systems making people even more susceptible to other illnesses. "Human displacements" would logically lead to the spread of disease. Conflicts and political strife pull governmental focus away from protecting their citizens health and everyday needs.
I still need to know what the social and religious culture is like to know how that affects the spread of meningitis in the Meningitis Belt. I also would like to know more about living conditions.
The Perfect Post
This post is about the factors which lead to Meningitis epidemics in the Meningitis belt. This answers my own question in a previous post.
My first source is a website from Brown University, which is well known and respected. The Url is: http://www.brown.edu/Courses/Bio_160/Projects2005/meningitis/epidemiology.htm This sight has an entire section dedicated to meningitis a lot of useful and easy to understand material.
According to the above cite, one of the factors that leads to meningitis in the Meningitis Belt is the climate. Epidemics occur most often in the dry season, which is exceptionally dry and during this season there are frequent dust storms. This damages people's "mucosal barriers." As I understand it, Mucosal barriers are an important part of the immune system which help prevent infections that spread similarly to meningitis. If a person's mucosal barriers are damaged, they are at higher risk for contracting meningitis.
http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/43/10/5129#R16
This site from the Journal of Clinical Microbiology confirms the above information. It also says that the Meningitis Belt is more likely to have epidemics because people are exposed to new strains of the disease there. I don't really understand why that is.
I think that the climate being a major factor is interesting, especially if we look at it with our essential question. Is is possible that the epidemics are not related to economics? I'd like to know more about the lifestyle in sub-saharan Africa.
My first source is a website from Brown University, which is well known and respected. The Url is: http://www.brown.edu/Courses/Bio_160/Projects2005/meningitis/epidemiology.htm This sight has an entire section dedicated to meningitis a lot of useful and easy to understand material.
According to the above cite, one of the factors that leads to meningitis in the Meningitis Belt is the climate. Epidemics occur most often in the dry season, which is exceptionally dry and during this season there are frequent dust storms. This damages people's "mucosal barriers." As I understand it, Mucosal barriers are an important part of the immune system which help prevent infections that spread similarly to meningitis. If a person's mucosal barriers are damaged, they are at higher risk for contracting meningitis.
http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/43/10/5129#R16
This site from the Journal of Clinical Microbiology confirms the above information. It also says that the Meningitis Belt is more likely to have epidemics because people are exposed to new strains of the disease there. I don't really understand why that is.
I think that the climate being a major factor is interesting, especially if we look at it with our essential question. Is is possible that the epidemics are not related to economics? I'd like to know more about the lifestyle in sub-saharan Africa.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Why lie?
Once again, it is approaching 10 P.M. It's the last day of a three day weekend and the guilt of not having thought about homework all weekend is so heavy I think my skull might cave in.
Just Kidding.
I thought about lying and saying that I have been working on my research all weekend and I wanted to put it into one big "weekend research post". I thought you might believe it too, considering my blunt honesty in the past. But I decided against it, my dear readership of 1. I have decided to trust you and share with you the truth.
The truth is, as I'm sure you know, that the weekends are not a time for studying and research. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but none of them apply here so I will spare you the details. The fact is that you know all about it, because you are probably as guilty of it as I am, if not more.
So here I am, trying to remember what this project is all about. Ah, thanks to my own genius, I have the essential question posted on my blog. I will work from there.
In order to answer the essential question, " What social, economic, or environmental factors cause the sub-Saharan African "Meningitis Belt" to have large epidemincs of Meningitis which rarely occur in first-world countries," I will need to know much more information about the Meningitis Belt, and I will also need to get a sense of Meningitis in first-world nations (when in doubt, state the obvious).
Just Kidding.
I thought about lying and saying that I have been working on my research all weekend and I wanted to put it into one big "weekend research post". I thought you might believe it too, considering my blunt honesty in the past. But I decided against it, my dear readership of 1. I have decided to trust you and share with you the truth.
The truth is, as I'm sure you know, that the weekends are not a time for studying and research. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but none of them apply here so I will spare you the details. The fact is that you know all about it, because you are probably as guilty of it as I am, if not more.
So here I am, trying to remember what this project is all about. Ah, thanks to my own genius, I have the essential question posted on my blog. I will work from there.
In order to answer the essential question, " What social, economic, or environmental factors cause the sub-Saharan African "Meningitis Belt" to have large epidemincs of Meningitis which rarely occur in first-world countries," I will need to know much more information about the Meningitis Belt, and I will also need to get a sense of Meningitis in first-world nations (when in doubt, state the obvious).
Speaking of stating the obvious, the United States is a first-world country. I'll start there. In the United States, cases of meningitis are seen mostly in younger children, teens, and the elderly. People living in close contact (e.g. dorms and military bases) are at higher risk too. Meningitis spreading through a dorm or child care centers could resemble a miniature epidemic. It could be interesting to see what similarites living in a dorm and living in the Meningitis Belt have.
Access to good sanitary conditions lowers the risk of Meningitis in the United States. We also have access to several preventative vaccines. Last year, my physician recommended that I get the Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4). I declined, but that's beside the point.
In the U.S. we also have access to treatment. A physician or pediatrician can diagnose Meningitis and prescribe the best anti-biotic or combination of anti-biotics to cure the illness.
Preventative anti-biotics are sometimes prescribed to people in close contact with people who are diagnosed with the illness.
In other words, Meningitis in the States is prevented and treated when and if it shows up. It is not especially common and people who're at risk (college students, kids in daycare) are warned about the risk and it is generally recommended that they recieve the preventative vaccination.http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00118.html
The above image is from the "For Parent By Parents" website(http://www.forparentsbyparents.com/info_medic_meningitis.html), and is designed to educate parents on how to watch for Meningitis in young children.
This image from the University of Texas Health Center(http://publicaffairs.uth.tmc.edu/hleader/archive/Infectious_Disease/2005/meningitis-0822.html) tells students to get vaccinated before returning to school.
So that's Meningitis in the U.S. I will have to see if this is similar to other first-world nations. Also, tune in next time for what conditions cause Meningitis in the Meningitis Belt.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Long Awaited...
Essential Question:
What social, economic, or environmental factors cause the sub-Saharan African "Meningitis Belt" to have large epidemincs of Meningitis which rarely occur in first-world countries?
The project update is that Raya and Miles are totally psyched about building a ginormous syringe. Though this idea was proposed by yours truly, I can barely handle small needles. We'll see how this goes. Our project proposal has been approved (first approval in the class) and we all still love each other. I think this project might just be fun.
Right now, Miles is sketching our syringe while practicing his ability to see into the future while Raya does all the research I should be doing.
And that's the news from *wink* Spencer's classroom.
What social, economic, or environmental factors cause the sub-Saharan African "Meningitis Belt" to have large epidemincs of Meningitis which rarely occur in first-world countries?
The project update is that Raya and Miles are totally psyched about building a ginormous syringe. Though this idea was proposed by yours truly, I can barely handle small needles. We'll see how this goes. Our project proposal has been approved (first approval in the class) and we all still love each other. I think this project might just be fun.
Right now, Miles is sketching our syringe while practicing his ability to see into the future while Raya does all the research I should be doing.
And that's the news from *wink* Spencer's classroom.
A Comparitive Reflection, A Cure, and An Allergic Reaction
When a pet dies, your dog is sick, and all the clothes appropriate for the interview you have today aren't clean, it's good to turn on the news and/or study diseases in third-world countries. I mean, so what if my white shirt's not clean, atleast the thin layer protecting my brain and spinal cord is intact. That will impress the interviewer, eh?
What's even better than feeling glad that you're not someone else, is feeling glad for someone else. So the real topic of today's post is penicillin, an antibiotic which is used in the treatment of Meningitis.
Penicillin is made from Penicillium molds. As with other antibiotics it prevents the spread of bacteria by stopping the development of the cell wall. When it was first created it was considered a "miracle drug" because of its revolutionary ability to cure bacterial infections (props for big words?). This information along with a complete unneccessary history can be found here:http://www.herbarium.usu.edu/fungi/FunFacts/penicillin.htm. The basics of the history are that Alexander Fleming discovered the properties of penicillin and a bunch of other scientists found ways to make production better and found better types of penicillium molds to use. Penicillin was very important in WWII. If more information about the drug is needed. I'll post it later.
The pictures are from these pages:
The left one is the chemical make-up of penicillin and the right is a penicillium mold spore.
In other interesting news, Miles is allergic to penicillin. When asked about his penicillin allergy, Miles says, "I don't know what happens, I think I get like a rash or something." Fascinating, don't you think? He should get a Meningitis vaccine.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Meningitis and the Belt
Here's the overview (from a reliable source):
The name Meningitis comes from the part of the body known as the meninges. The meninges is a thin layer which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is caused by bacteria infecting infecting the meninges. Although several bacteria can cause meningitis, the most prominent one is Neisseria meningitidis. Neisseria meningitidis can cause large epidemics. The disease spreads through droplets of respiratory fluids. This means that anyone who lives with or comes in contact with the person can be exposed through sneezing, coughing, or any contact. Symptoms include headaches, vomiting, light sensitivity, and stiff neck. It is often treated with Penicillin, though other antibiotics can be used as well. When Meningitis epidemics strike in Africa oily chloramphenicol is often used as a treatment.(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/)
It seems that the disease would be difficult to recognize when it shows up sporadically in nations such as the U.S., New Zealand, and Spain. Although it would most likely be treated with antibiotics anyway, would it not? That's something to check out. My group and I are interested in possibly doing a comparison of the treatment and social response to Meningitis in richer areas and poorer areas, such as the Meningitis belt.
The name Meningitis comes from the part of the body known as the meninges. The meninges is a thin layer which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is caused by bacteria infecting infecting the meninges. Although several bacteria can cause meningitis, the most prominent one is Neisseria meningitidis. Neisseria meningitidis can cause large epidemics. The disease spreads through droplets of respiratory fluids. This means that anyone who lives with or comes in contact with the person can be exposed through sneezing, coughing, or any contact. Symptoms include headaches, vomiting, light sensitivity, and stiff neck. It is often treated with Penicillin, though other antibiotics can be used as well. When Meningitis epidemics strike in Africa oily chloramphenicol is often used as a treatment.(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/)
It seems that the disease would be difficult to recognize when it shows up sporadically in nations such as the U.S., New Zealand, and Spain. Although it would most likely be treated with antibiotics anyway, would it not? That's something to check out. My group and I are interested in possibly doing a comparison of the treatment and social response to Meningitis in richer areas and poorer areas, such as the Meningitis belt.
Above is a map of the meningitis belt. It was stolen from this website:
(Don't tell or they'll send the United Nations Country Team in Ethiopia after me.)
The WHO's page on Meningitis (linked above) says that much of the epidemic problem in the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa is caused by the social situation and overcrowding. Though this is horrible, it makes the area a very possible candidate for the geographic region we study for this project.
Miles, Raya, and I talked about a few different ideas for our essential question and final product today. Our ideas for the product still need a lot of work. For the question, we are trying to decided what region we want to focus on and whether we want to do a comparison of two or several. I think we ought to do a comparison between Meningitis in richer nations and poorer nations. Though I think there would be plenty of work and information if we just focused on the Meningitis Belt.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The Truths that All Teachers Know
So, this blog idea is both ingenious and evil. As I understand it, the idea is to make sure that students are actually, you know, doing their research. Generally the idea is that the teacher pretends that the students are taking the entire time given to complete the assignment, even though everyone knows that the assignment will get started maybe around 10:00 the night before it's due.
Of course, I myself am not guilty of this as you can tell by the time this was posted. In fact, I am so responsible, that I'm posting on the weekend after the blog was assigned (This is only because I saw that other "responsible" students like Joe and Gabby had posted of their blogs and I wanted to seem as awesome as them).
So Truth #1 is that students procrastinate. Truth #2 is that most students use wikipedia, despite it's bad rep for unreliable information. So I've decided that in the spirit of honesty I will first post the information that is found on wikipedia. Now, have no fear teachers, I will not rely on this information. I will merely use it as a starting point. What's kind of ironic about this is that I actually didn't go to wikipedia first, but I lost the name of the website I was on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningococcal_disease
Ha! There's not much there. I've been let down by Jimmy Wales (It said on the back of my mother's Starbucks Cup that he started Wikipedia).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningitis
The above page has much more information. Apparently, Meningitis is caused by microorganisms. Also, there is an area in Africa known as the Meningitis Belt. I will definitely have to look that up at a reliable source. That might be the area we can study. The disease has huge outbreaks there.
It can be treated with Penicillin G (Miles is allergic that), but must be diagnosed and treated quickly. There are also several vaccines for different types of Meningitis. From this article it sounds like Meningoccal Disease (my topic), only refers to one type of Meningitis. That might complicate our research.
So my plan over the next week is to learn more about the "Meningitis Belt" in Africa, learn more about the way the disease actually affects the body, and learn some more about penicillin. I think that should be quite a bit. I wonder how long I could put it off?
Of course, I myself am not guilty of this as you can tell by the time this was posted. In fact, I am so responsible, that I'm posting on the weekend after the blog was assigned (This is only because I saw that other "responsible" students like Joe and Gabby had posted of their blogs and I wanted to seem as awesome as them).
So Truth #1 is that students procrastinate. Truth #2 is that most students use wikipedia, despite it's bad rep for unreliable information. So I've decided that in the spirit of honesty I will first post the information that is found on wikipedia. Now, have no fear teachers, I will not rely on this information. I will merely use it as a starting point. What's kind of ironic about this is that I actually didn't go to wikipedia first, but I lost the name of the website I was on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningococcal_disease
Ha! There's not much there. I've been let down by Jimmy Wales (It said on the back of my mother's Starbucks Cup that he started Wikipedia).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningitis
The above page has much more information. Apparently, Meningitis is caused by microorganisms. Also, there is an area in Africa known as the Meningitis Belt. I will definitely have to look that up at a reliable source. That might be the area we can study. The disease has huge outbreaks there.
It can be treated with Penicillin G (Miles is allergic that), but must be diagnosed and treated quickly. There are also several vaccines for different types of Meningitis. From this article it sounds like Meningoccal Disease (my topic), only refers to one type of Meningitis. That might complicate our research.
So my plan over the next week is to learn more about the "Meningitis Belt" in Africa, learn more about the way the disease actually affects the body, and learn some more about penicillin. I think that should be quite a bit. I wonder how long I could put it off?
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