Strategies for Prevention of Infectious Diseases

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COURSE TITLE:

Strategies for Prevention of Infectious Diseases

COURSE OVERVIEW:

This course is a fully online course. This course is part of the Certificate in Public Health specialization in Infection Control. Students may also take this course as a general technical elective in the Master of Public Health degree program.

INSTRUCTORS:

Justice Mbizo, Dr.PH

CONTACT INFORMATION:

jmbizo@uwf.edu

PREREQUISITES OR COREQUISITES:

Those interested in this course and/or the Public Health Certificate Program should contact Mr. Steve Celestial at (850) 474-2885 or scelestial@uwf.edu.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

A comprehensive study of the tools for the control of infectious diseases and the application of these tools in public health programs to achieve an epidemiologic impact on disease reduction, elimination or eradication.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (Objectives):

Following this course, the student will be able to:


• Provide an understanding of the range of tools available to control infectious diseases that can be applied to the host, to vectors, to infected humans, to animals (to control zoonoses), to the environment, and to agents.
• Provide an understanding of how the tools available for control of infectious diseases can be applied in public health programs to reduce, eliminate or eradicate diseases in populations.
• Provide an understanding of some of the current major public health control programs both domestically and internationally, including preparedness programs for bioterrorism.

TOPICS COVERED:

1. Introduction to the approach and methodology of the course. Global burden of infectious diseases and the chain of infection: agent, transmission, and host.
2. Control measures applied to the host: active immunization, passive immunization, chemoprophylaxis.
3. Control measures applied to the host: behavioral change, reverse isolation, barriers, and general improvement in host resistance.
4. Control measures applied to vectors: chemical control, environmental control.
5. Control measures applied to vectors: biological control.
6. Control measures applied to infected humans: chemotherapy, isolation.
7. Control measures applied to infected humans: quarantine, restriction of activities, and behavioral change.
8. The role of the Public Health Investigator in control of communicable diseases.
9. Control measures applied to animals: active immunization, restriction or reduction.
10. Control measures applied to animals: chemoprophylaxis and chemotherapy.
11. Control measures applied to the environment: provision of safe water, proper disposal of feces.
12. Control measures applied to the environment: food sanitation, milk sanitation, and other methods.
13. Control measures applied to the agent.
14. Application of control measures in public health programs to reduce, eliminate or eradicate diseases in populations.
15. Eradication of diseases.
16. New, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

• TBA

SPECIAL TECHNOLOGY UTILIZED BY STUDENTS: (beyond baseline requirements of e-mail and word processing)

• Students will be required to develop a paper for this course.

GRADING/EVALUATION:

• 30% Classroom participation
• 30% Paper
• 40% Final exam

EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC CONDUCT/PLAGIARISM POLICY:

• Academic Conduct Policy [Web format | PDF format | rtf format]
• Plagiarism Policy [Word format | PDF format | rtf format]
• Student Handbook [PDF format]

ASSISTANCE:

Students with special needs who require specific examination-related or other course-related accommodations should contact Disabled Student Services (DSS), dss@uwf.edu, (850) 474-2387. DSS will provide the student with a letter for the instructor that will specify any recommended accommodations.