INTRODUCTION TO DISEASE AGENTS & THEIR CONTROL (3125)
ORGANISER: Professor Michael Miles
TIMETABLE SLOT: Term 1, Weeks 2-12
DATES: 03 October 2011 to 16 December 2011
AIM
The main aim (in conjunction with other core term 1 components for MSc Control of Infectious Diseases) is to provide a multidisciplinary framework for understanding the principles of interventions against infectious diseases. This module specifically provides knowledge and understanding of important disease agents in the context of their routes of transmission and the potential intervention strategies, and considers some of the reasons for the success, partial success and failure of control programmes.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this module students should be able to:
- describe the importance of principal major pathogens in the different regions of the world;
- outline the practicalities and limitations of diagnostic techniques for these pathogens;
- apply knowledge of the life cycles of a range of pathogens to their transmission routes and pathogenesis, and to the selection of appropriate interventions;
- appreciate the inter-relationships between clinical skills, laboratory science, epidemiology, and health policy in the selection of interventions;
- assess the implementation of interventions and understand reasons for their success and failure;
- select appropriate interventions, taking account of the diverse social, political and economic contexts in which health systems operate.
CONSTITUENCY
This module is a compulsory core module for all students on the MSc course in the Control of Infectious Diseases.
CONCEPTUAL OUTLINE
Students will be introduced to a multidisciplinary integrated and goal orientated approach to the implementation of disease control in the diverse contexts of differing health systems. With this background, there will be three major teaching components: (a) The life cycle and characteristics of major infectious disease agents according to their principal transmission routes, namely: respiratory (proximity) diseases; contact diseases; water-borne; food-borne; sexually transmitted; blood-borne; congenital and perinatal; arthropod vector-borne; opportunistic, or emergent infections. This will include examples of laboratory methods for identifying disease agents; (b) the principal intervention strategies used to combat such infectious diseases, namely: case management, vaccination, treatment and chemoprophylaxis and the many means of preventing exposure, from individual protection to environmental management; and (c) analysis of factors contributing to the success or failure of systems of control and intervention strategies will be considered including: fundamental scientific difficulties with implementation procedures, managing people and resources; contextual problems associated with finance and interagency relationships; social and political issues.
TEACHING STRATEGY
Teaching methods will include lectures, practicals, group discussions, debates and problem solving exercises that will build on the previous experience and future career intentions of the students.
LEARNING TIME
The module is made up of 250 Notional Learning Hours – 120 hours contact time, 60 hours directed self-study, 20 hours self-directed learning, and 50 hours assessment, review and revision.
ASSESSMENT
By written examination in June (Paper 1).
