Disease Detectives B/C

[QuantumTech]

Does anyone happen to have the answer key to the New York Invitationals Test for 2012?

[CVMSAvalacheStudent]

This is a question that pertains to both microbes and disease for which I have never found a quality answer: What is the difference in diseases caused by bacteria and diseases caused by viruses? Obviously their causative agents differ, but how do the general characteristics differ? For example, does one tend to cause certain different symptoms?

I have looked online for this, and the only things I can find are websites that list characteristics of viruses and bacteria and websites that give examples of diseases caused by each. (And obvious stuff like the fact that antibiotics don't work against viruses).

For starters, viruses are not alive. Diseases that are caused by viruses tend to be deadlier including Ebola and Zika. Most of the symptoms are the same, but viruses are harder to cure or sometimes impossible to cure like HIV. Search it up on Google.

[mangothecat]

This is a question that pertains to both microbes and disease for which I have never found a quality answer: What is the difference in diseases caused by bacteria and diseases caused by viruses? Obviously their causative agents differ, but how do the general characteristics differ? For example, does one tend to cause certain different symptoms?

I have looked online for this, and the only things I can find are websites that list characteristics of viruses and bacteria and websites that give examples of diseases caused by each. (And obvious stuff like the fact that antibiotics don't work against viruses).

Huh I haven't seen a good answer to that question either. From what I've read, the symptoms overlap and vary depending on the specific disease. I haven't found any symptoms that are specific to only viral diseases or only bacterial diseases. The incubation periods also vary between diseases, but I've found that viral diseases *generally* have slightly shorter incubation periods.
On a side note, I've found some interesting differences between gastroenteritis that is caused by infection by the bacterium itself vs gastroenteritis that is caused by toxins released by the bacterium. Infections are associated with fevers, diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and have longer incubation periods than intoxication. Intoxications are associated with vomiting as well as respiratory failure, neurological symptoms and the sorts, and usually have short incubation periods of <6 hours. Anyways I guess I'm trying to say that depending on whether the bacterial disease is caused by infection or intoxication, it may have a shorter or longer incubation period than viral diseases.
Your question is really interesting and I haven't really thought about it until now. I'll definitely keep an eye out for answers, and it would be great if you can let me know if you find anything!

[Unome]

Chances that this shows up on the nationals test?

[Alex-RCHS]

Chances that this shows up on the nationals test?

Yikes...

I wouldn't be surprised at all if that shows up.

[IvySpear]

What are the chances that the test will test stuff on historical cases, and if it does, usually how in depth are the questions?

[Alex-RCHS]

What are the chances that the test will test stuff on historical cases, and if it does, usually how in depth are the questions?

Many tests will ask you about John Snow, the founder of field epidemiology; and Hippocrates, the founder of medicine. I haven't been asked about much else.

For Snow you need to know that he worked on a Cholera outbreak in London. The year was 1854, but that's probably not important. He used a spot map to trace the source of the outbreak to a water pump handle. He solved the outbreak by removing the handle.

Hippocrates searched for a logical explanation for disease. He made a lot of contributions to modern medicine. That's about all you really need.

[Skink]

What are the chances that the test will test stuff on historical cases, and if it does, usually how in depth are the questions?

They really shouldn't, as history isn't technically a testable topic; review section 3 in the rules. The thing is, though, that a lot of supervisors (in both divisions) don't really understand what the field is about and, so, sometimes write questions that are well outside the scope of what this event is trying to get at. My team took an invitational test last season that had a huge history section, and one of the scientists they asked about doesn't exist ...

I do recommend getting a very loose handle on some history, though, stuff like this if you have time. It protects you from history questions, gives you a better handle on how the epi you're supposed to know developed, and is, at times, interesting just by itself.

[IvySpear]

Oh thanks! I was also wondering, how often will I have to deal with stuff like confounders and biases? I know the rules said they will be included, but what proportion of the test do they usually make up (And I mean state-level or nationals-level tests)?

[Skink]

Proportion? Single digits percentage, probs...I find this part tricky because I don't think the topics laid out in the Training Handout are detailed enough, so my team goes one step deeper. That's worked out well at the State level.