The course will provide students with knowledge about the pathogens and pathogenic processes involved in infectious diseases of humans and domesticated animals as well as the immune responses to such pathogens..

Lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials

None

None

Assessment

Essay (50% of marks/20 credits). Students will research and write an essay of 3000 to 4000 words on a topic related to infectious disease.  Preparation of the essay will be supervised with at least one tutorial session in which feedback will be provided.

Examination. Students will sit two examinations at the end of the course in the December diet. One 2h examination will comprise three essay style questions (15 credits). One 1h examination will comprise a paper-analysis type question (5 credits).

The course aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the processes by which infectious disease agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites) infect their hosts, the strategies by which pathogens evade the immune responses directed against them, and how these interact to cause disease. The course will provide students with the opportunity to evaluate strategies for the prevention, control and treatment of infectious diseases.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

i) discuss the organisms and pathogenic processes involved in infectious diseases of humans and domesticated animals through a critical analysis and synthesis of the current literature;

ii) discuss the cellular and molecular basis of immune responses to pathogens through a critical analysis and synthesis of the current literature;

iii) critically analyse, evaluate and summarise the literature on a specific scientific area of infectious disease and present this in the form of an extended essay;

iv) produce written essays and reports in appropriate scientific style using a range of appropriate computer software (e.g. Word, Reference Manager, Excel);

v) make use of web based literature search engines (eg Pubmed) and other library resources to consult primary research publications and related material.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.