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	Deadly Ebola viruses budding  from an infected cell.	Virology Trimester 2 2009-2010 with Dr. Don DeWitt Last Update:   11/ 2 / 09	Outbreak the movie: a thorough investigation and  scientific critique

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This assignment has a value of 25% of your final grade. It expectations are as follows:

1.   FILOVIRUSES: 

As an introduction to the project, please include a summary of filoviruses including a description of the known types and the history of their outbreaks. Use my Virology program as a major resource.  In addition, use some of the internet links found on the Cell Bio 2 Internet References page.  A great resource is found at the Special Pathogens Branch website. You should also use appropriate terminology when discussing infectious diseases.  To help you understand how filoviruses work, you may wish to review the immunology chapter entitled The Body Defenses in your textbook (Chapter 43).  I do NOT need a review of immunology in this section.  This section should be no larger than 4 pages including graphics.

a. Report Format: Write a summary report about what happened in the film Outbreak with a focus on the spread and evolution of the viruses.  Include specific locations, times and people or animals who were involved.  Your approach should be from the viewpoint of someone who is working at the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) (specifically in the Special Pathogens Branch) or the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).	Interesting Biosafety level  Information is available  at the CDC.
	What is a Fuel - Air Bomb?
In your report, assume that you are writing it after the outbreak of Motaba at Cedar Creek has concluded. You may assume that you are writing the report two months after the conclusion of the outbreak and after the proceedings of the court martial of Generals Donald McClintock and Billy Ford have been made available to you. With that perspective, you will have access to almost all of the information shown in the film... but be careful.... there are things that you saw in the film that no CDC agent could possibly know. (e.g., how the colobus monkey gave Congo motabavirus to Jimbo Scott.)  In these cases, although you may know from watching the film, you should simply say that it is not known but you could give a possible answer (monkey spit on him).  Finally please note in your report and your flowchart, how each character died ... either from Congo motabavirus (Motaba1),  Cedar Creek motabavirus (Motaba 2), accident, conflict, etc., or saved... by the antiserum E1101, or the antiserum against Cedar Creek motabavirus. The two viruses can be abbreviated as CM or M1 or CCM or M2.  If it is impossible to say, then simply say so.  It is not necessary to report on the identity of the cast members from the film.  You SHOULD NOT refer to the film at all IN THIS SECTION of your paper. Cast lists (and therefore CORRECTLY spelled character names) may be obtained from a variety of sources such as: http://us.imdb.com/Title?Outbreak+(1995) or http://www.tvguide.com/movies/database/. Remember that this is a formal report and the title should reflect this attitude, so Outbreak Assignment, Motaba Virus,  Outbreak in Zaire, Summary, are inappropriate titles.  I prefer titles similar to: USAMRIID Summary Report: Congo motabavirus and Cedar Creek motabavirus Outbreak in September 1995 in California and Boston, United States and Motaba River Valley, Zaire.
b. Supporting Flowchart: In support of your report, you should include a graphic flowchart that enables a reader to see the connections between events.  You should use the class discussion flowchart as an example for the style and depth of information.  Submission of your class notes is not appropriate. A formal flowchart with title should be attached to your report. Please note in your flowchart, how each character died, (either from Motaba1 (M1) or Motaba2 (M2), or blown up, or shot.  If it is impossible to say, then simply say so.  Your DEAD and SAVED boxes should have labelled arrows (near the box) running to them from all affected individuals so that the reader of the report can quickly find out what happened to each person or animal. An example of this method was shown in the brain-storming session. Make sure that a reader of your flowchart can EASILY determine the answer to questions such as: "Who died from M2?" The reader should be able to look at your dead box and follow a deadline back to the victims.  Your flowchart should include a Title and who created it. If you use colors or patterns, then you should include a KEY defining the meaning of each color or pattern.  All boxes must be connected using lines with arrowheads. (If you do not, you will suffer the consequences of breaking the Isaacs Rule... which is -5 pts.) You should create the flowchart using a draw program such as AppleWorks or equivalent. Programs used by past students include Visio, PowerPoint, Word. Illustrator, Publisher, SmartDraw, etc. Do NOT use a paint program unless you work at 300 dpi so that the details are sharp when printed.  As an alternate method,  rather than wasting a lot of time trying to get all of the information into the computer, you may wish to generate the flowchart boxes (with words) via computer, then print them, organize them to fit on a table top in the area you have been allocated, and then paste them onto the final sheets. Then you may neatly draw the connections and add comments (M1 vs M2, names near Dead and Saved boxes, etc). Do not use diagonal lines to connect boxes, and do not run lines under boxes. If you need a sheet larger than 8.5 x 11 inches, then attach it and fold in down to the 8.5 x 11 inch size. Successful students in the past have simply taped on a second or third sheet and folded them at the seams. Plan ahead by placing your boxes on a table and move them around until they fit into the desired space.  Do not just keep adding a small piece of paper here, and another piece there.  Remember that this is a formal report and your flowchart needs to be organized.  The MAXIMUM size for your flowchart is the area created by THREE 8.5 x 11 inch sheets of paper.  The foldout MUST be folded into an overall 8.5 x 11 inch size.  Anything larger... WILL BE TRIMMED DOWN TO THE APPROPRIATE SIZE.  (NOTE:  Even though the flowchart can be as large as 3 sheets of paper, it only counts as ONE.) This section of your project should be no larger than 5 pages including graphics PLUS the Foldout....... so... that means SIX PAGES where one of them is an upto-three-page foldout. (If you can not figure this math out, please 1-800-MOTABAISHERE.)

1. Filoviruses 2. Field Report 3. Public Health Control 4. Size 5. Refs 6. Errors 7. Due MENU 3.    PUBLIC HEALTH CONTROL OF BL-4 OUTBREAKS
Now take yourself out of the role player's chair, and look at the possibility of a "level 4" outbreak from the perspective of a government official (such as the Surgeon General) who is in charge of the public safety of the citizens of the United States.  Your job is to advise the President. Reflect on what you think should be done in the eventuality that a 100% lethal and airborne virus outbreak occurs within these United States. Do NOT assume that you are talking ONLY about an isolated town... think metropolitan areas. Reflect on the political, and medical and public health issues.  Finally,  comment on and evaluate the points of view of the military, and CDC / USAMRIID characters in this film.  Hint:... Basically you are being asked to think about McClintock, the good guy's point of view.  SAY NOTHING about McClintock, the bad guy, who developed a bioweapon and tried to cover it up!  You do NOT necessarily need to pretend to be him... but you do need to take the point of view of someone in the government who must make the final decisions. This section of your project should be no larger than 1 page and does NOT require graphic support.
	Do you like those  bio-hazard suits  they wear in Outbreak?  Check out the real suit  called the  CHEMTURION™ Reusable Level A Suit made by ILC Dover, Inc.	They also make  the M40 and M42  Field Protective masks  that the Army uses. M40 at ILC DOVER They also make the  space suits for NASA
	As of 2008, these suits are no longer available at Globa Effects but some new suits are: BIOHAZARD.	The suits in Outbreak are fake bio-hazard suits! They were made by costume designer Erica Phillips who works at wardrobe company Global Effects. Only 50 of the orange suits and 35 of the blue BL-4 lab suits were made.  Click on either of the photos  to visit Global Effects.  Unfortunately these suits are NOT available for rent!!!... ahhh nuts!... almost had my halloween costume for next year!!! I have seen these yellow and blue suits with helmets  used in other movies (mostly TV)  since Outbreak came out such as... Carriers, Marshall Law, Seven Days,  The Burning Zone, Total Recall 2070, and Voyage of Terror.
	Check out Ebola in the News!
		The real thing used in BL-4 labs  is called a  Chemturion - Extended Wear  Model 3525 Biological / Chemical  Protective Suit (Click on the photo at the left to learn about its details.)
Want your own safety hood?  How about one for your baby sister? (Sorry.. links do not work any more, but don't you want one?)
Want a nifty job? How about working on  USAMRIID's  Aeromedical Isolation Team?
	Aeromedical isolation team members in field-protective suits equipped with battery-powered HEPA-filtered respirators transporting the stretcher isolator, a light-weight unit designed for initial patient retrieval. The team trains on several types of military aircraft, including the C-130 transport shown in the background.
		The Vickers aircraft transport isolator (VATI), designed for prolonged patient transportation and in-flight care.

1. Filoviruses 2. Field Report 3. Public Health Control 4. Size 5. Refs 6. Errors 7. Due MENU 4.    SIZE EXPECTATIONS: This paper should be no larger than 10 pages using Cell Bio formatting rules. You should include your flowchart as a separate page (Yes it counts for ONLY one page.) Place all references on a separate page. So.... just in case you are confused: SECTION 1: 4 pages with graphics; SECTION 2: 6 pages with graphics INCLUDING the flowchart (even though the flowchart can be up to 3 pages in size), and SECTION 3: 1 page with no graphics.... PLUS a 1 page References page  TOTAL = 12 pages (or.... 14 pages, if you are counting the flowchart as 3 pages).   whew! WARNING: Any paper submitted with a total of more than TWELVE pages including the flowchart and references, will be penalized 10% PER PAGE. (a.k.a. the Heather Rule) 1. Filoviruses 2. Field Report 3. Public Health Control 4. Size 5. Refs 6. Errors 7. Due MENU 5.    REFERENCES: Please include all references on a separate sheet of paper.  In reference to my Virology program use: DeWitt, D., 2003, Virology, Version 5.5 software, Bergen County Academies. When referencing an internet site, make sure that you obtain the correct URL. Check it in another window to make sure you can get back to the site. Do not simply list the URL. Preceed the URL with a one sentence description of the resource. Check out Ebola in the News! 1. Filoviruses 2. Field Report 3. Public Health Control 4. Size 5. Refs 6. Errors 7. Due MENU 6.    ERRORS IN THE FILM:   White-faced capuchin  monkey, Cebus capucinus Photo source:  The Wisconsin Regional  Primate Research Center The monkey Betsy is a white-faced capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus) which live only in South America.  However, in the film and the book, they refer to Betsy as a colobus monkey. Colobus monkeys are also black and white, and live in Africa. So the name was correct but the animal used was incorrect.   Black and white colobus  monkey, Colobus guereza Photo source:  UNKNOWN For more on capuchin monkeys, visit Capuchin. For info on black and white colobus monkeys, visit here. I am sure you are aware of many more errors... 1. Filoviruses 2. Field Report 3. Public Health Control 4. Size 5. Refs 6. Errors 7. Due MENU 7.    DUE DATE: Check the Due Dates website accessible through the Main Menu. This paper has a value of 25% MAILING PENALTY Note also that there is now a penalty for mailing in your paper.  Due to the onerous task of unpacking and securing the postmarks to large numbers of  papers as well as worrying about IF the papers were lost and the fact that the post office does not ALWAYS place a cancelation on envelopes, I am now charging you 2% of the document's value in addition to any late penalty. What seemed like a good idea has turned into a very large annoyance so unfortunately this new Mailing Penalty is in effect for this due date.  psst.... Wanna know where Cedar Creek is?...... Ferndale, California!!! ... proof psst.... Wanna see what the Motaba victim's looked like?...  a view from the point of view of the make up artists! 1. Filoviruses 2. Field Report 3. Public Health Control 4. Size 5. Refs 6. Errors 7. Due MENU To obtain a black on white PRINTABLE version of this page, click PRINTABLE.  Return to the Main Menu   Return to Virology