B. Lyme Disease Inquiry

Directions :  The following is a collaborative inquiry related to our ELISA lab.  Lyme disease is a concern in our part of the United States.  One of the clinical uses for ELISA is to detect  Lyme Disease.  Work in your group to investigate this important medical issue.  Your group will make an educational video presentation about Lyme Disease to be published on YouTube! Let' Go, get your team going!

                                                    Product :  A Google Site with information typed and  a YouTube video embedded.    Include your digital microscope images,too. Do credit sources with APA on the site.

Medical Notes : 

Lyme Disease produces a classic sign, the "Bull's Eye " rash . A Patient who may have Lyme Disease , but may not have the classic rash.  A blood sample is sent to the lab.

• The ELISA test is done, but a false- negative is possible if the infection is in the early stages. 

•  A second test that confirms Lyme Disease is the Western Blot Test.

• It is very difficult to culture or grow the bacteria.  It is possible to get a sample of the bacteria from the fluid in a joint.

A.The  Vector : 

    1. What is a vector?  

    2.What is the  genus and species and kingdom of the organism which is the vector for Lyme Disease?  Get a       picture of the organism.  

    3.What is the geographical range in the US for the organism?  Get a map and describe the range.   

    4. What is the life cycle of the organism?

    5. Get a diagram of the body parts of the organism.

B. The Cause:  

    1. What is the genus and species,  and Kingdom of the organism which causes the disease in North America?

    2. Who was the organism named after?

    3. Where was the disease first identified?

C. Symptoms and Diagnosis: 

    1. Describe the symptoms and provide photos of the classic skin condition.

    2. What are some of the possible clinical tests to be done?

Additional Concern :  Up to fifty percent of Lyme Disease cases involve a co-infection transmitted by the same vector.  A blood borne parasite which is a Protist is transmitted causing Babesiosis. For extra knowledge , research and explain this co-infection in your project.

D. Treatments :  

    Describe how Lyme Disease can be treated.

E . LAB : Get a digital image from our digital microscopes of the disease causing bacterium, Borrelia burgdoferi

      1. CAREFULLY get a picture in high power.  Take a measurement of the length of a single bacterium in micrometers.

       2. Insert the photo on to the web site that you create.  You may edit the image and crop it to increase the magnification.  You should have a caption for the picture. ( Magnification, who took it, identification, date could be in the caption or included as labels.)

       3. CAREFULLY get a digital image of the Vector, Ixodes sp. in LOW power only...notice that the cover slip is thick and higher power can not be used.  Get an image of the mouth parts. Include a caption and labels as with the bacteria.  

F: Web Site and Video : This is where you can get creative.  You must present the information researched about Lyme disease, the tick, the bacteria and the ELISA test.  How you structure it is flexible.  You should include digital images, researched information, and your video.  Your audience is the general public, your purpose is to provide useful information about Lyme Disease.

         The Video : Some ideas : 1. Make a role-playing video with a doctor, patient and lab technician.

                                                2. Make an information video with a lecture .

                                                3. Make an entertaining video with a tick puppet or some one dress as a tick...use your imagination.

                                         It would be a good idea to make a plan for the video, including a script.