Friday, January 25, 2008

dPBL Package 2

Problem Statement

There are outbreaks of viral, fungal and protozoa diseases among platoons of army soldiers in Indonesia. Soldiers reported sick after 2 weeks of jungle warfare training. It is of concern to the ministry that there are also sporadic reports of avian flu in the nearby villages. In view of these outbreaks, you have been tasked to conduct a pre-mission briefing with blogs and poster to educate future batches of soldiers.
Your group needs to keep a blog containing information about a variety of pathogens that cause problems during jungle training so that the soldiers are made aware of the dangers and could take the necessary precautions.

Indonesia -

located in South East Asia

experience tropical climates year-long (warm and humid + rainy seasons)

Army conditions -

jungle (may be warm and humid or damp pending weather changes)

warfare (exposed to soil, air, water - living conditions for pathogens)

soldiers (army of soldiers: many people; cluster)

exposure to wildlife animals including birds (avian)

harsh living conditions with improper sanitation

shortage of food/water (may lead to consumption of contaminated food/water)