BIO 330 Epidemiology, Disease and Public Health
Epidemiology examines a wide range of disease conditions and their distribution in the human populations to promote public health. The course will at first analyze the methods employed in describing, monitoring, and studying health and diseases in populations. The core of the course will then focus on the discussion of factors and issues of illnesses most currently prevalent in the world including: HIV/AIDS, vaccine preventable diseases, avian influenza, emerging infections, DT, tuberculosis and malaria. Particular attention will be given to the immune system and on the body's reactions when exposed to foreign agents such as bacteria, viruses and toxins. Aspects addressed in lectures will also be the strategies for disease surveillance and for outbreak prevention, detection and control. Two case studies that may be considered are the Spanish Flu and the Avian Influenza. The class format will include lectures, discussions and critical review of assigned reading material.