Emerging Diseases (Environmental Health)

Assessment Instructions

This assessment requires you to write a report assessing the basic environmental health principles, theories, and issues of an emerging or reemerging disease.

To begin, select one emerging or reemerging disease to research for this report. Note: The WHO Emerging Diseases and CDC Web sites (both linked in the Resources under the Internet Resources heading) list a variety of relevant diseases.

Then, craft a 3–4-page report that analyzes the disease and addresses the following points:

• Provide a brief historical account of the disease selected. Consider why this disease is emerging or reemerging.
• What areas of the globe are currently affected by this disease?
• How is it transmitted?
• What is the incubation period?
• What is the treatment for this disease?
• What is the role of vaccines in combatting this disease? If there is no vaccine, why not?
• What is the predicted prognosis of recovery and residual effect?

Your report should be logically organized around a point you would like to make regarding the emerging or reemerging disease you select. Consider the MEAL Plan to help organize your thoughts:

• Main Idea: What is the main point or idea that you want your reader to remember about this disease?
• Evidence: What does the research say? Support your point with evidence from the literature you have researched. (This is where you would include facts about the history, transmission, incubation, treatment, and prevention of the disease. Refer to your sources when you provide your evidence.)
• Assess: Summarize main ideas from articles related to the disease. Apply health principles and theories that relate directly or indirectly to your main point. Make explicit links between source articles and your current report.
• Link: Integrate and combine information from your source articles to your main point or idea.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Use the APA Paper Template (linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading) to format your report.

• Written Communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Length: This report should be 3–4 pages in content length. Include a separate title page and a separate references page.
• Font and Font Size: Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced. Use Microsoft Word.
• APA Formatting: Resources and in-text citations should be formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
• Number of Resources: You are required to cite a minimum of 2 scholarly resources. You may conduct independent research for resources and references to support your report. Provide a reference list and in-text citations for all of your resources, using APA format. You may cite texts and authors from the Resources.

Emerging Diseases (Environmental Health)

Overview

Create a 3–4-page report on the basic environmental health principles, theories, and issues of an emerging or reemerging disease.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Assess basic environmental health principles, theories, and issues.
  • Analyze an emerging or reemerging disease.
  • Describe how an emerging disease is transmitted.
  • Describe the incubation period of an emerging disease.
  • Describe how an emerging disease is treated.
  • Predict prognosis of recovery and residual effects of an emerging disease.
  • Assess the role of vaccines in disease prevention.
• Competency 4: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
  • Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics
  
  

  Context

  To understand emerging and reemerging diseases, you must first understand the interconnectedness between human health and the environment and have a grasp on epidemiology. The Assessment 1 Context document for this assessment provides a brief overview of the concept of interconnectedness and the field of epidemiology. You may wish to review this document for key ideas and information.Emerging Diseases (Environmental Health)

Questions to Consider

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

• In your own words, what is your definition of environmental health? Why?
• Is environmental health is a global issue? Why or why not?
• Is environmental health an individual concern? Why or why not?
• Do you think most Americans understand the term environmental health? Why or why not?
• Some people feel vaccination should be voluntary and not mandated. What is a reasonable argument to support that position?
• What is an emerging or reemerging disease?Emerging Diseases (Environmental Health)

Resources

REQUIRED RESOURCES

The following resources are required to complete the assessment.

Capella Resources

Click the links provided to view the following resources:

• APA Paper Template.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Capella Resources

Click the links provided to view the following resources:

• Assessment 1 Context.

Click the links provided below to view the following multimedia pieces:

Capella Multimedia

• Hydrologic Cycle | Transcript.

Library Resources

The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:

• Friis, R. H. (2012). The Praeger handbook of environmental health. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
  • Introduction: “Current Status of Environmental Health.”
  • Volume 1: Foundations of the Field.
    • Chapter 1, “Ecology and Environmental or Ecosystem Health.”
  • Volume 2: Agents of Disease.
    • Chapter 1, “Microbial Agents: Zoonotic.”
    • Chapter 2, “Environment and Vector-Borne Diseases.”
    • Chapter 3, “Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus and the Environment.”
• Bade, D. (2012). Freshwater carbon and biogeochemical cycles. In S. A. Levin, S. R. Carpenter, & H. C. J. Godfray (Eds.), The Princeton guide to ecology. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Pyhtila, H. (2008). Plastics, pesticides, and pills are contaminating our drinking supply. Earth Island Journal, 23(3), 45–48.
  • This article exposes a specific issue of global concern by describing the impact of humans on water quality. It provides a suggestion for reducing impact on the environment and for protecting personal health.
• Koch, K. (2000, August 25). Vaccine controversies: Are today’s vaccines safe enough? CQ Researcher, 10(28), 641–672.
• Bristol, N. (2007, May 11). HPV vaccine: Should it be mandatory for school girls? CQ Researcher, 17(18), 409–432.
• Kelley, T., & Covi, M. (2013). Environmental health hazardscapes. Environmental Health Insights, 7, 67–69.

Course Library Guide

A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the BIO-FP2000 – Environmental Health Library Guide to help direct your research.

Internet Resources

Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have been either granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). IPCC. Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/index.htm
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). CDC. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/
• World Health Organization. (2014). Emerging diseases. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/emerging_diseases/en/
• National Institute of Health and Infectious Diseases. (n.d.). Emerging infectious diseases/pathogens. Retrieved from https://www.niaid.nih.gov/

Bookstore Resources

The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and are not required. Unless noted otherwise, these materials are available for purchase from the Capella University Bookstore. When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific –FP (FlexPath) course designation.

• Hilgenkamp, K. (2006). Environmental health: Ecological perspectives. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
  • Chapter 1, “Environmental Principles and Ecology.” This chapter provides an introduction to the structure of the earth, fundamentals of ecology and ecosystems, and biogeochemical cycles. The information in this chapter will help you evaluate the impact humans make on the environment.
  • Chapter 2, “Humans and Global Issues.” This chapter provides an introduction to environmental issues of global concern, and describes how and why global collaboration is necessary to solve these problems.
  • Chapter 4, “Epidemiology and Environmental Diseases.” The purpose of this reading is to help you understand the basics of epidemiology, how immunity and genetics influence disease prevention, how disease can be transmitted, and how to protect yourself.