NEM-20806 Basics of Infectious Diseases

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

2nd year BSc curricula Biology, Animal Sciences and Plant Sciences prepares for this course

Continuation courses:

CBI-20306, ENT-30806, HMI-50306, NEM-30306, PHP-30306, VIR-30306, ENT-30306, PHP-30806

Contents:

Emerging infectious diseases of humans and animals make it into the headlines of the news on a daily basis (e.g. malaria, TBC, norovirus). This multidisciplinary course approaches these infectious diseases from several perspectives, including the underlying biology, ecology, epidemiology, and socio-economics. Information will be provided on new insights on the causative agents of several infectious diseases (e.g. viral, prion, bacterial, protozoal, and parasitic diseases) as well as arthropod vector biology and vector-borne diseases. Mathematical modeling has strongly influenced policy-making in relation to the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases. In this course we will focus on the key principles of epidemiological models of infectious diseases to understand how they are used in the health economy.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the course the student is expected to be able to:
- recognize the key concepts in the biology of a range infectious diseases and their causative agents;
- demonstrate insight into the principles of host defense mechanisms;
- reproduce the principles of anti-infective therapies, with an emphasis on the antibiotics use, misuse and resistance;
- recognize the key evolutionary and epidemiological factors in models of the emergence, spread, and containment of infectious diseases;
- discuss the strengths and weaknesses of several intervention strategies;
- formulate a research question and execute the research needed to answer this question;
- discuss experimental data, including statistical analysis, and report on scientific research through oral and written presentations.

Activities:

(1) Lectures (2) Practicals on the ecology, physiology and molecular biology of infectious diseases and their vectors. (3) writing of report that incorporates knowledge from recent literature in the field of infectious diseases.

Examination:

Written examination on the contents of the handouts, and evaluation of practical report

Literature:

Lecture notes and selected literature review will be provided during the course.
Additional literature (recommended):
Principles and practice of infectious diseases, 6th edition. Mandell, Bennett, and Dolin (2004).Churchill Livingston.