BIOL 322 Epidemic: The Dynamics of Infectious Disease
This course examines epidemics from a multidisciplinary perspective focusing on the science of infectious organisms. The structure, methods of transmission and disease production, ability to evade the immune system, and management of these organisms will be discussed. Many epidemics have influenced the course of human history and remain problematic today, evolving with their hosts to avoid detection and treatment. The course will explore those organisms that are currently producing illness and examine their impact on the human population: some have a long history (e.g., tuberculosis) while others have more recently emerged (e.g., SARS). The evolution of new strains, resistance to treatment, and ecological confines will be examined to better understand the phenomena of host/parasite interactions. The course is designed to evolve with changes in the infectious disease world so that new advances in identification, treatment options, vaccine potential and emerging disease entities can be addressed. The field of epidemiology will be explored so that data collection and analyses are better understood.
Prerequisite
MATH 113 or higher; one lower level DS3 course