1) Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium transmitted via mosquito bites. It is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions where mosquitoes can breed. 2) Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, is a fatal brain disease caused by prions. Cattle can contract BSE from eating rendered protein in feed that contains infected tissue. 3) Prion diseases like BSE and its human form Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) are transmitted when humans consume meat infected with prions, which are very resistant to heat sterilization and other methods.

1. Malaria and BovineSpongiformEncephalitisAHL IB BiologyOption F

2. Malaria True or False?

3. Watch this video on malaria and answer the questions on your worksheet

4. Distribution At low altitudes During hot seasonsIn places where the Anopheles mosquito is able to breed in fresh water Where the environment provides – water -vegetation -optimum temperature

5. Incidence of Malaria

6. Incidence of malaria in Mexico

7. Malaria - parasiteCaused by a protozoan parasite of the genus PlasmodiumMainly P. falciparum but other species include P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariaeP. knowlesi can cross the species barrier from monkeys to humansThe parasite lives in subtropical areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas

8. ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF PLASMODIUM PARASITE

9. RING STAGE OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM

10. Life Cycle of Plasmodium

11. You are what you eat!Arrachera on the barbecue? Tacos de res? What´s your favourite? Calves are fed a “baby formula” made from bovine blood because it is much less expensive than milk, not to mention the comparative resale values of the two liquids. Adult cows are fed rendered animal protein to aid in “bulking up”.

12. Rendered Protein Ingredients:Animals unfit for human consumption such as:Sick animalsHorsesCats and dogsZoo animalsRoad killFrying oil from restaurants

13. Brains, spinal cords, feathers, hooves, skins, hair, fur, whiskers, bones, teeth, etc. remaining from slaughterhouses

14. Sewage sludge

15. Manure

16. Sawdust/wood scraps

17. Newspaper

18. Cement dust

19. Maggot infested grains13Not only is this rendered protein used in the food we feed our pets and food animals, it is in the products we use everyday. The fat is skimmed off of the top of the vat during the rendering process and used to make “marshmallows and cereal bars, … lipstick and hand lotion and garden fertilizers, tires and yogurt and breath mints.”

20. Symptoms of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathyrestlessnessaggressivenessloss of motor functionloss of appetiteconvulsionsblindnessself mutilation

21. The initial discoveries of BSE…In April of 1985, the first identified case of BSE was initially believed to be “grass staggers,” a common illness caused by Magnesium deficiency. The cow was observed as seeming to hallucinate.Given an “Unknown” diagnosis, as a possible brain tumor or lead poisoning. The brain autopsy revealed spongiform patterns.On March 20, 1996 the UK Department of Health announced that BSE was in fact transmissible to humans.The announcement was so devastating to the UK cattle economy that many ranchers were forced into bankruptcy beacuse of the immediate loss of entire herds of potentially contaminated cattle, as well as the immediate consumer boycott of beef and beef products. This downturn was so terrible in fact that there was an epidemic of suicides within the ranching community.In June, 1987 John Wilesmith, a veterinarian epidemiologist for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishers and Food (MAFF) made the link between BSE and cattle feed made from scrapie infected sheep.

22. On July 7, 1988, a settlement was offered by British Agriculture of payment for 50% of the worth of the cow if reported to the government. This in fact gave the farmers an incentive not to report suspicious cases, as they would make the full profit from sneaking past inspection and selling the meat into the market versus reporting the problem and only receiving 50% compensation.

24. Causative agent of BSE: What is a Prion?

25. Prions in the bodyFound in mainly in the brain, spinal cord and nervous tissue, with increasing research discovering prions in glands and blood as well.Physical Attributes of the affected brain:Enlarged astrocytes- Star shaped cells attached to blood vessels in brain.Holes where neurons used to be.Amyloid Plaques-flower shaped protein waxy buildup. BSE BrainScrapie Brain

26. Prion protein is indestructible by heat up to 1000° F(350° C) Hot enough to melt lead.In 1986, 4.5 million cows were incinerated in the U.K. after the discovery of BSE. The ashes, stored in underground concrete containers, were retested again in 1998 and found to still be infected with active prions.

27. So how do these prions affect humans?KuruCreutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)New Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)

28. KuruCannibal culture of Papua New Guinea. Affected mostly women and children, with a small amount of men. anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of the population died each year from kuru.When loved one died, men ate muscle portions and women and children were left with the lesser organs and brain, where we now know prions tend to cluster. The rare male cases occurred because of the possible 20 to 30 year dormancy period of prions where the infectious agents were ingested as children.