Influenza A H1N1

INITIATING QUESTIONS
1. What is an epidemic?
A widespread outbreak of an infectious disease.
2. What is a pandemic?
An epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region.
3. What is an infectious disease?
Infectious diseases are diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi, and it can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another.
4. What is a virus?
Is an infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell, and they infect all types of cellular life.
5. What makes the H1N1 virus a "novel" or "new" virus?
It was never seen before. Because this is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against this novel H1N1 virus.
6. How do viruses mutate?
Influenza viruses replicate by using the host cell to replicate their RNA without ever using a DNA intermediary. This distinguishes them from retroviruses; instead, they are called RNA viruses or riboviruses.
Once inside the cell, the virus replicates its genome to positive-sense mRNA, which is used to make more virus proteins, and positive-sense cRNA, which serves as a template for replicating the genome. The cRNA is then replicated again to produce complementary negative-sense RNA strands that will become the genome of the daughter viruses.
7. What does it mean that this virus has "parts" from other known swine flus, human flus and American bird flus?
In the 2009 swine flu outbreak, the virus isolated from patients in the United States was found to be made up of genetic elements from four different flu viruses – North American Mexican influenza, North American avian influenza, human influenza, and swine influenza virus typically found in Asia and Europe – "an unusually mongrelised mix of genetic sequences."
8. How does that process happen?
This new strain appears to be a result of reassortment of human influenza and swine influenza viruses, in all four different strains of subtype H1N1.
9. How is the flu vaccine created?
Flu vaccine is usually grown in fertilized chicken eggs. A DNA-based vaccination, which is hoped to be even faster to manufacture, is currently in clinical trials, but has not yet been proven safe and effective. Research continues into the idea of a "universal" influenza vaccine (but no vaccine candidates have been announced) which would not need to be tailored to work on particular strains, but would be effective against a broad variety of influenza viruses.
10. Why are some viruses transmittable from human to human while others are not (avian flu)?
Generally, avian flu viruses infect birds, and human viruses infect humans. Because their immune systems "remember" what the viruses look like from previous exposures, humans and birds tend to have some level of immunity to their respective viruses. Though avian flu viruses do sometimes infect humans and cause severe illness, these viruses do not transmit easily from human to human so the spread is rare.
A problem arises when an intermediary species that can host both avian and human-like viruses, such as a pig, is infected with both types of virus. In cases like this, the viruses can combine in the host to make hybrid avian-human viruses. These viruses can infect humans but escape the immune response because their surface proteins are foreign to the immune system.
11. How does Tamiflu work?
It is an antiviral that has shown to have some efficacy against this strain of swine flu. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is a neuraminidase inhibitor, serving as a competitive inhibitor towards sialic acid, found on the surface proteins of normal host cells. By blocking the activity of the neuraminidase, Oseltamivir prevents new viral particles from being released by infected cells. It prevents progeny virions from emerging from infected cells.
12. Scientists worry that H1N1 might become resistant to Tamiflu. How might that happen?
As with other antivirals, resistance to the agent was expected with widespread use of oseltamivir, though the emergence of resistant viruses was expected to be less frequent than with amantadine or rimantadine. The resistance rate reported during clinical trials up to July 2004 was 0.33% in adults, 4.0% in children, and 1.26% overall. Mutations conferring resistance are single amino acid residue substitutions in the neuraminidase enzyme.

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What is the most predictable thing about influenza?
The unpredictable nature of the viruses that cause it.
2. How many people have died in Mexico? (based on the article as well as on latest news)
66.
3. Name 3 countries where swine flu has been confirmed in the last three days.
India, Malaysia and Turkey. (May 17th)
4. What are the symptoms of the swine flu?
Symptoms are similar to that of the seasonal flu: fever, cough, sore throat, headache, and nausea and can range from mild to deadly.
5. When was the outbreak of the Spanish flu?
1918
6. What percentage of the world population died of influenza then?
1%
7. Why was there an emergency vaccination program in 1976?
Because there was an outbreak of Swine Flu.
8. Name a few actions the Mexican government has done to curb the spread of swine flu.
All schools were closed throughout Mexico until May 6th.
Mexico City closed many public spaces like movie theaters, bars, clubs, and churches.
9. What were the consequences for Mexico and Mexicans due to the actions taken by the government?
The Mexican tourist economy, which had already suffered this year from the crisis and the drug violence, has been further beaten down by the threat of swine flu. Many Mexicans that were forced to close their businesses also lost a lot of incomes.
10. What industries were particularly hard hit?
Restaurants, cinemas, theaters, bars, clubs, hotels, and of course everything that has to do with tourism.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Mexico has shut down schools and other public spaces; do you think that was the correct thing to do? Why or why not?
I think it was a good decision, because even though it was very drastic, in Mexico we do not have the resources to face a huge epidemic, and I think that it was the correct thing to do because of the unpredictability of this virus.
2. More people die from the regular flu then from swine flu, why do you think this became a big news story?
Because regular flu has been existing like forever, and this one is a new virus, so the scientist are not sure about the consequences or about how is this virus going to behave.
3. Why did people stop visiting Mexico? Why have Mexicans been discriminated? Do you think the fear of the disease is justified?
People stopped visiting Mexico and started discriminating Mexicans because they are afraid that the epidemic will expand to their country or that they will get sick. I think that in some ways it is justified because something like this damages the economy, but cases like China’s are just exaggerations and they acted misleadingly.
4. What questions about individual and human rights does preventing the spread of flu raise?
That many rights have been violated such as going to school, having a business, and human rights of persons that were isolated in China.

THE RESCUE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abm6wHNlsXk

Bag of tricks

I. Why are plastic bags so common?
Plastic bags cost grocery stores under 2 cents per bag. Plastic bags are so cheap to produce, sturdy, plentiful, easy to carry and store.
II. In what other ways is plastic used?
Plastic detergent bottles, peanut butter jars, water bottles, soft oil bottles, cooking oil bottles, cups, plastic tableware, food storage containers, yogurt containers, drinking straws, tupperwares, milk jugs, etc.
III. What are the benefits of plastic bags?
The plastic bag is an icon of convenience culture, by some estimates the single most ubiquitous consumer item on Earth, numbering in the trillions. Plastic grocery bags are some of the most reused items around the house. Compared to paper grocery bags, plastic grocery bags consume 40 percent less energy, generate 80 percent less solid waste, produce 70 percent fewer atmospheric emissions, and release up to 94 percent fewer waterborne wastes, according to the federation.
IV. What are the dangers of plastic bags?
The inks and colorants used on some bags contain lead, a toxin. There are a lot of animals that live on the bottom: shrimp, shellfish, and they get trapped in the plastic. Only 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled worldwide -- about 2 percent in the U.S. -- and the rest, when discarded, can persist for centuries. It takes months to hundreds of years for plastic bags to breakdown. Plastic doesn't biodegrade.
V. What has been done so far?
Grand efforts are under way to recycle plastic bag. Some states are attacking the recycling problem by trying to encourage shoppers to take the bags back to grocery stores. Some plastic bags are being downcycled, meaning that they're being put into another product that itself can never be recycled. Plastic bag litter has become such an environmental nuisance and eyesore that Ireland, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, and Bangladesh have heavily taxed the totes or banned their use outright.
VI. Has it been successful? Why or why not?
So far those efforts have resulted mostly in a mass of confusion.
The campaign of returning bags in San Francisco for over 10 years, and it's never really been successful. People have to pack up the bags, bring them into the store and drop them off. I think you'd be more inclined to bring your own bag than do that.
Tony Lowes, director of Friends of the Irish Environment in County Cork, said the 15 cent tax on plastic bags introduced there in March 2002 has resulted in a 95 percent reduction in their use. "It's been an extraordinary success," he said.

a. What are some of the potential benefits of charging fees for and/or banning plastic bags?
· Reduce pollution by encouraging reusable bags.
· People would change their behavior, and they would adapt to the habit of using reusable bags and stop polluting the environment.
· We would achieve to have a cleaner environment.
· With the money they get from charging plastic bags, they could help clean up lakes and bays.
b. What are some of the potential drawbacks of such programs?
· The plastic bag industry would crash.
· The economic climate is affecting people.
· It will increase costs and affect businesses.
c. Which benefits and drawbacks seem the most compelling? Why?
I think that the most important benefit of doing this would be to achieve a cleaner environment because if we do not start making something NOW later we will suffer the consequences.
The drawback that would affect mostly if this happens would be the increase of costs which would be affected by the economic crisis. I think this is the main cause which is slowing the process of accepting such programs.
d. Would you support a local law charging fees for (or banning) plastic bags? Why or why not?
Yes, because pollution is a major problem nowadays, and even though the economic crisis is affecting most of the people, they can use reusable bags, which do not imply an extra charge.

1. Do you agree with this new law? Why or why not?
Yes, pollution is a catastrophic problem nowadays, and in Mexico City we consume 20 millions of plastic bags per day. I think that even though this action may affect the plastic industry it will definitely give the Earth a little bit more of cleanness.
2. What has been done so far?
In Mexico City the plastic bags in every store, including dry-cleaning, should be banned in less than a year. They say that maybe this will be an example to the rest of the states to start making the same thing. Bimbo has started replacing plastic bags with a biodegradable plastic.
3. What needs to be done to enforce such a law?
All the stores must change their habits, as well as the people. The stores must replace plastic bags for biodegradable plastic in one year. To enforce the law I think that everyone must cooperate because even though the plastic industry will be affected, the biodegradable industry will grow so it is the same thing.
4. What campaigns would you suggest?
I think that a good option with this environmental problem would be to charge people if they want to take a plastic bag because now that they are free nobody cares if they take 15 or 16 bags, but if they lose money for each bag they would reduce their use.

News 4

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/world/europe/12germany.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Tim%20Kretschmer&st=cse
Teenage Gunman Kills 15 at School in Germany
Who? Tim Kretschmer.
Where? Winnenden, Germany.
When? Wednesday 11th, 2009.
What? A teenage gunman killed 15 people.
Why? His father was member of a shooting club, maybe this influenced in the 17 year old boy’s actions.

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090310/shooting_spree_090311/20090311/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
Gunman had list of people 'who done him wrong'
Who? Michael McLendon.
Where? Alabama.
When? Tuesday, March 10th, 2009.
What? A gunman killed 10 people including members of his family and the he shot himself.
Why? Investigations say that they found a list of people who done him wrong and one important cause of this is said to be that he was forced to resign from Reliable Metals.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/vtech.shooting/index.html
Witness survives by pretending to be dead
Who? A gunman and the witnesses.
Where? Blacksburg, Virginia.
When? April 16th, 2007.
What? A gunman killed at least 30 people in one of two shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech.
Why? He was diagnosed with a severe form of an anxiety disorder known as selective mutism in middle school, as well as depression.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/03/12/killeen.mass.shooting/
Texas city official: Mass shooting left scars, but Killeen 'resilient'
Who? George Hennard
Where? Killeen,Texas
When? October 16th, 1991.
What? Hennard drove a pickup truck into Luby's cafeteria and fatally shot 23 people and wounded more than 20 before killing himself.
Why? The killer yelled "This is what Bell County has done to me!", so it means he must have had some traumas of how he was treated or something like that.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29582081/
Official: Ill. slaying suspect planned 'death day'
Who? Terry J. Sedlacek's
Where? Maryville, Illinois.
When? March 8th, 2009.
What? The man was charged with gunning down a pastor in mid-sermon and then stabbing two churchgoers.
Why? Soma families say that he suffered from Lyme disease.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003569436_mall13.html
Teen gunman killed 5 in Utah mall targeted people at random
Who? Soloman Tolovich.
Where? Salt Lake City.
When? February 12th, 2007.
What? A teenager opened fire in a mall and killed five victims.
Why? They also say that he was very intent on going to the mall and trying to hurt, trying to kill as many people as possible. Police say that he left his home. He drove to the mall. He had with him a backpack full of ammunition.

News 3

Charities Say Government Is Ignoring Them in Crisis
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/us/05charity.html?_r=1

Who? US government and different organizations.

When? March 4th, 2009.

Where? In the US.

What? They are giving less mony to charities and organizations.

Why? Because of the crisis.

News Analysis

1. Who is Robert Mugabe? How long has he been in power? How popular is he?
He is Zimbabwe's president. He has been in power for 28 years. He was very popular when he started, but now the people, after seeing what he done, have changed their point of view.

2. Who is Morgan Tsvangirai? Which is/ has been his political role?
He is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, and he is the President of the opposition party.

3. What happened during last year's elections? Which was the outcome?
Mugabe and Tsvangirai were the main candidates, and supposedly Tsvangirai was ahead of Mugabe, but finally Mugabe won.

4. Whis is the economic situation in Zimbabwe? How do the people feel about this?
The economy in Zimbabwe is collapsing. It was once a very stabilized economy, and now it is the worst economy in the world. Mugabe made a disaster with the currencies and the Zimabwean dollars, so the inflation grew and the economy dropped. There is an unemployment of 80%. The government of Zimbabwe faces a variety of economic problems after having abandoned earlier efforts to develop a market-oriented economy. Problems include a shortage of foreign exchange, soaring inflation, and supply shortages. Zimbabwe's involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy.

5. What do you think about the celebrations and the lavish party?
I think that it is completely inappropiate to do that. One thing is to celebrate a birthday with friends or something like that and another completely different thing is to spend 250 000 in a party while the crisis in the country is worse than ever.


a) Give the conflict a name and explain why you think it is a conflict.
Economy is spoiled, government is ignorant. It is a conflict because Zimabwe's economy is falling apart, cholera is infecting everyone, etc. and the one that is supposed to do something about it is celebrating his birthday with a magnificent party.

b) Who is involved and why?
Mugabe,Tsvangirai, and all the people in Zimbabwe.

c) Explain in detail why the conflict has happened.
I think that one of the main causes of the conflict is that Mugabe has been in the government for 28 years. He has made a lot of mistakes in the economy, and he is not willing to help the country anymore. He has changed his goals. The country is worse than ever and he has contributed to that, but he does not care.

d) Give a timeline of events (at least 5) related to the conflict.
August 2008, a cholera epidemic broke
Februry 21 2009, Mugabe's 85th birthday.
February 27 2009, Tsvangirai visited Harare Hospital.
February 28 2009, Mungabe spent 250 000 in his clebration
March 1 2009, appealed to the international community to help Zimbabwe's crippled economy.

e) How do you think this conflict can be solved and why?
First of all, the president should be changed because as I just said he is not making any good to the country. Then instead of spending that much money in a party, they should use it to help the sick people and to rebuild the economy.

Conflict

1. Country name: Democratic Republic of Congo
2. Conflict: Gen. Laurent Nkunda, who opposes Congo’s president, has taken the nation to its most dangerous precipice in years.
3. Copy the headlines and the link to a news item reporting on that conflict: Congo Warlord Linked to Abuses Seeks Bigger Stage http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/20/world/africa/20congo.html?_r=1
4. Summarize the news item in your own words in 5- 8 sentences. (identify the main ideas)
General Nkunda is affecting a lot the country in many ways. He made his military campaign in October and Nove,ber, and he was opposed by many Congolese and by the United Nations. One of the things he plans to do is to remove President Kabila. This gives a lot of risks to Mr. Kabila, because he is weaker than ever. General Nkunda is all but certain to face an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for atrocities committed during his years fighting here, human rights investigators say, most recently in Kiwanja, where his men executed civilians and torched camps that housed 30,000 displaced people.
5. Describe the conflict.
Democratic Republic of Congo is a country that ended a 40 years tyranny in 2006. They elected Joseph Kabila and started a democracy, but the conflict started when a General started makinga military campaign and opposing the president. A lot of people are against him, but since the president is not in his best moment, anyone can stop him. The UN has interfered, but nothing has been solved.
6. Based on your research - geography and timeline, explain why the conflict happened. Which ones are the roots of the conflict?
The main root of this problem is that this country is new and they do not have the experince of having a democracy, so Nkunda is trying to take some advantage of it.
7. Answer:
a) Who is involved in the conflict? Nkunda and Kabila
b) Where is it happening? In Soth Africa. DR of Congo
c) When did it happen and how long has it been going on? It started in October and Novemeber with his military campaign and it has lasted until today.