BIOL 250 Plagues and Humankind
This course will study the infectious diseases that have threatened humankind throughout the ages, as well as new agents of infection. Students will develop an intrinsic understanding of bacteria, viruses, prions, and protozoan parasites from the standpoint of transmission and virulence. The course will also provide an understanding of the treatment regimes as well as the dynamics of the process of co-evolution, a type of “dance” that occurs between parasite and host (prey). The organisms that have been responsible for “plagues” will be investigated in detail, as well as their effects on society. The newer members of the infectious disease assemblage will be studied to discern what mankind has learned from past experience, how modern society responds to the “unknown” and how the use of advanced tools of diagnosis and treatment contribute to or remove the factor of fear. Those organisms that have been “weaponized” for use in bioterrorism will be “deconstructed”.