We live in constant association with trillions of microorganisms, most of which do us no harm (commensals) and some of which benefit us (mutualists). However, a select few microorganisms are pathogenic in nature, and it is these organisms that make a large impact on public health. For your pathogen essay, you can select any pathogen that peaks your interest. It should be ~500-800 words in length and should utilize >5 references outside of your textbook. You may use any reference style you’d like as long as it is organized and one of the standard formats for scientific writing. For example, it is common to put a number in parentheses (1) or superscripted1 at the end of the sentences or paragraphs to which a specific reference was applied, and then to have a corresponding numerical list of references at the end of the essay.
Your paper should touch on the following topics:
Why You Chose This Pathogen
Classification/Genome Organization
Key Molecular/Cellular Structures
History of Discovery/Characterization
Current Public Health Burden (incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, socioeconomic impact)
Epidemiology (pathogen reservoirs, ease and route of disease transmission)
Life Cycle/Replication Cycle
Characteristic Immune Response
Clinical Disease/Pathology
Available or Developing Treatment/Vaccination Strategies
