Question

1. malaria is a disease particularly common in africa, and is caused by a tiny germ known as plasmodium. when a female mosquito bites a person infected with malaria, she sucks up plasmodium along with the blood. when she bites a healthy person, plasmodium in her saliva infects that person. suggest two ways that the spread of malaria could be reduced or prevented. how will the suggestions help to decrease infections? 3
2. based on your understanding of infectious diseases, explain whether you think people who have an infectious disease should be quarantined. support your answer with evidence, and identify the trade - offs of your decision. hint: to write a complete answer, start by stating your opinion. provide two or more pieces of evidence that support your opinion. consider all sides of the issue, and identify the trade - offs of your decision. use the writing frame below to help you answer this question. 4

there is a lot of discussion about the issue of

decision is that

cision is based on the following

third,

the trade - off

people who disagree with my decision might say that

Explanation:

Question 3

To answer this, we analyze malaria transmission (via mosquitoes) and propose prevention methods.

1. Using Insecticide - Treated Bed Nets (ITNs): Mosquitoes (female Anopheles, malaria vectors) bite at night. ITNs release insecticides that kill or repel mosquitoes. When people sleep under ITNs, mosquitoes can’t bite them, so Plasmodium - carrying mosquitoes can’t transmit the parasite. This reduces the number of new infections as the transmission route (mosquito - human bite) is interrupted.
2. Eliminating Mosquito Breeding Sites: Malaria mosquitoes breed in stagnant water (puddles, unused containers with water). By draining stagnant water, covering water storage containers, or adding larvicides to breeding sites, we reduce the number of mosquito larvae. Fewer larvae mean fewer adult mosquitoes, so there are fewer vectors to transmit Plasmodium. This cuts down the overall mosquito population, lowering the chance of people being bitten and infected.

Opinion: People with infectious diseases should be quarantined.
Evidence 1: Quarantine limits the contact between infected individuals and the healthy population. For example, during the COVID - 19 pandemic, quarantining infected people (or those exposed) reduced the spread of the virus. Pathogens (like viruses, bacteria) need a host to spread; by isolating the infected, we break the transmission chain.
Evidence 2: Quarantine allows for focused medical care. Infected people in quarantine can receive proper treatment, monitoring, and infection control (e.g., proper disposal of infectious waste, use of PPE by medical staff), which helps prevent the pathogen from spreading within healthcare settings and to the community.
Trade - off: Quarantine can affect the mental health of the quarantined (isolation - related stress, anxiety) and may cause economic hardships (e.g., loss of income if unable to work). Also, some people may feel their personal freedoms are restricted.
Disagreement: People who disagree might say that quarantine is too restrictive of personal liberties, or that for mild infectious diseases, the harm of quarantine (mental, economic) outweighs the benefit, or that good hygiene and social distancing (without full quarantine) are enough to control spread.

Answer:

• Suggestion 1: Use insecticide - treated bed nets (ITNs). Explanation: ITNs repel or kill malaria - carrying mosquitoes (female Anopheles) when they try to bite people at night, reducing the chance of Plasmodium transmission.
• Suggestion 2: Eliminate mosquito breeding sites (e.g., drain stagnant water, cover water containers). Explanation: Reducing mosquito breeding sites decreases the number of adult mosquitoes, so there are fewer vectors to transmit Plasmodium, lowering infection rates.

Question 4