This case study is based on the 2014 Ebola epidemic that spread to multiple highly populated countries in West Africa, making it the largest and most devastating outbreak in the history of the virus. The storyline, inspired by a compilation of factual information, unfolds through a fictional narrative wherein students play the role of an infectious disease specialist in training to learn about the techniques used in the detection, diagnosis, and management of Ebola virus outbreaks. The story is presented as an interrupted "clicker case" that combines problem-based case teaching methods with simulated biological laboratory inquiry through the use of Case It, a free molecular biology software, along with the NCBI's online bioinformatics tools and databases. Students work in groups to collaboratively explore various biological and social aspects of this infectious disease outbreak. This case was developed for senior students at the secondary level and can be modified for use in an introductory biology, microbiology, or epidemiology course at the undergraduate level.
Meet five fellow Pompe patients as they recount their own experiences with the diagnostic journey. You are sure to find bits of your own story in theirs. The road to diagnosis can be riddled with uncertainty, an array of specialists all looking for an answer, and even misdiagnosis. That is undoubtedly why many people living with Pompe welcome the moment a physician delivers the correct diagnosis. Finally, an answer; a name for what has been happening all these years.