ASM 345 Study Guide for Module 5

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Episodes 1-4

Terms to know: (you should also know examples of each of the following)
Virus
Virion
Polio
Jonas Salk
Albert Sabin
Iron lung
Smallpox
Vaccinia
Variola major
Variola minor
Monkeypox
Edward Jenner

Concepts/Debates you should understand:

 What is a virus and what are its definitive characteristics?
 What is the structure of a virus and what is the viral life cycle?
 What methods do viruses use to enter and exit cells?
 According to Villareal, are viruses alive? Why or why not?
 How is polio transmitted?
 What are the symptoms of polio? What complications may arise from this disease?
 How does polio cause paralysis? Is paralysis permanent?
 Where is polio still endemic and where are current outbreaks? What causes polio to be
prevalent in some areas today?
 What social impact did polio have during its time as an epidemic and what is its impact
today?
 According to Robbins and Daniels, what factors complicate polio eradication? Why is it
difficult to get rid of this disease?
 What species is the natural reservoir for smallpox? How does this affect its transmission?
 How does smallpox differ from chickenpox?
 According to Barnes and to lecture, what is the difference between Variola Major and
Variola Minor?
 What effect did the introduction of smallpox have in the indigenous populations of the
Americas?
 Do zoonotic poxvirus pose a threat to humans?
 How did smallpox “vaccination” begin? How was the disease ultimately eradicated? Why
was eradication successful for smallpox (whereas it has not been successful for other
diseases)?
Episodes 5-7

Terms to know: (you should also know examples of each of the following)
Herd immunity
Vaccination
Vaccination coverage
Influenza virus
Hemagglutinin
Neuraminidase
Flu season
Antigenic drift
Antigenic shift

Concepts/Debates you should understand:

 What was the concern about the MMR vaccine? What do the scientific data indicate
about the vaccine?
 According to Jensen and to the CFR Vaccine map, what has happened in areas where
vaccine coverage has declined?
 How does the CDC or WHO evaluate the severity of a flu season?
 When does the flu season usually peak?
 What are the different types of flu and which type causes most cases of the flu?
 According to the reading by Barry (2005), and to your lecture notes, why was the 1918
flu pandemic so unusual?
 According to Barry, what social effects did the 1918 flu pandemic cause?
 What public health lessons can be drawn from the 1918 flu?
 Why is the 1918 influenza often called the “mother of all pandemics”? Is the 2009 H1N1
pandemic virus related to the 1918 virus?
 How did ancient DNA contribute to our understanding of the 1918 pandemic?
 How do the three pandemics of the 20th century (1918, 1957-1958, 1968-1969) compare
to each other? What do Simonsen et al. (2005) suggest are the lessons from these
pandemics for future pandemics? Given what you know about the H1N1 2009 pandemic,
are these correct?
 Why is everyone so concerned about the “bird flu”? How is the bird flu transmitted to
humans?
 What is required for a flu pandemic to occur?