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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 17, which doctor does Osterholm identify as one of the first to demonstrate the importance of hand-washing?

2. Which animal does Osterholm think helped spread MERS to humans?

3. What was the average life-expectancy in the United States in 2009?

4. Which hotel in Hong Kong became a central place for the spread of SARS in 2003?

5. Which organization was focused on eradicating yellow fever as early as 1915?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 18, what does John Barry, author of The Great Influenza, say is the first thing to understand about influenza?

2. Why does Osterholm claim a personal stake in studying mosquito-borne illnesses?

3. In Chapter 16, who was one of the first doctors to discover the power of antibiotics and how did he make this discovery?

4. What was the likely origin of the MERS outbreak that began in 2012?

5. What are the two types of dengue disease Osterholm describes in Chapter 14?

6. In Chapter 17, what is one remedy for antibiotic-resistant infections that Osterholm says will be more difficult, but not impossible, to develop?

7. What kind of virus is Ebola and why was it given this specific name?

8. What is one of Osterholm's fears about how a virus like Ebola could possibly mutate to become worse?

9. Why does Osterholm believe the public is so fearful of diseases like Ebola?

10. In 2015, where did a severe new strain of flu appear in the United States?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Osterholm mean when he uses the term "Black Swan" in epidemiology? What kinds of public health outbreaks in his career qualify as so-called "Black Swans?" Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 13, what is Osterholm's opinion about Dr. Carlo Urbani, the Italian doctor who first identified SARS as the deadly pathogen it is? What are some of the personal and professional attributes Urbani demonstrated that informed Osterholm's opinion of him? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 3

What does Osterholm use the analogy of the myth of Pandora, and Pandora's box, to explain or illustrate in this book? Write an essay explaining your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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