Medical Dialogue Review Fall 2015 Reviewer Application

Due: September 18, 2015

Name:

Expected Year of Graduation:

Major(s):

Edit this sample (using a colored font) to the best of your ability, and include a small critique at the end. Be sure to check the cited works, for fact checking and otherwise!

Legionnaire’s disease is a serious lung infection caused by Legiunella bacteria. In the summer of 2015, the worst outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in New York city occurred, leaving 12 people dead and more than 1000 people infected. This September, outbreaks happened in Illinois, leaving 10 people dead and at least 50 diagnosed with the disease. Even in California, 95 inmates in a prison are suspected of being sick, while 10 inmates have already been diagnosed. While the exact causes of these recent occurrences are under inspection, a lot of knowledge about the Legionnaire’s disease already known by the medical community. Legionnaire’s disease can’t be transmitted person-to-person and occurs as a result of Legiunella bacteria infecting your lungs. The easiest way to catch is to breathe in small droplets of contaminated water. In extreme cases, this causes severe pneumonia, respiratory failure, kidney failure, and septic shock! The only time the Legiunella bacteria are really serious is when they make their way into artificial water supply systems and start infecting people, like air conditioning systems.

To prevent Legionnaire’s disease from happening again, the United States has to be stricter about public health policies for cooling towers and plumbing systems. A common way of disinfecting water supply is hyperchllorination. However, we already know it doesn’t work. Newer methods which can control and eliminate the spread of the Legiunella bacteria include copper-silver ionization and monochloramine disinfection. Simpler methods include keeping water temperature either below 20 degrees Celsius or heated above 100 degrees Celsius. The water supply also should be monitored and moving to prevent bacteria growing. We need to instill stricter policy to prevent the spread of such harmful bacteria or else more people will be effected and worsen the national problem.

Works Cited

1. http://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/7279/20150907/legionnaires-disease-spreading-out-of-control-in-the-us.htm

2. http://www.medicinenet.com/legionnaire_disease_and_pontiac_fever/article.htm

3. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/legionnaires-disease/pages/introduction.aspx

4. http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-legionnaires-outbreak-illinois-rises-10-194119338.html

What other extracurricular activities are you participating in this semester?

Can you please describe any previous experience you have as a peer editor or writer? If not, what do you hope to learn from working on the MDR?

Please submit a one-page sample of your writing.

Please submit your completed application to Vasiliki at [email protected] by Friday, September 18, 2015!

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