Infectious disease and public health
Infectious disease affects all our lives to varying degrees, often making front-page news: “New resistant strain of TB”, “Will bird flu cross over to humans?”, “Hospital infections reach epidemic proportions”, etc. This module approaches infectious disease from several perspectives – exploring the underlying biology, epidemiology, ecology and evolution of pathogens in relation to the extraordinary immune defences of their human hosts. You’ll learn how infections are diagnosed, how to study changes in the incidence of diseases, and investigate strategies for treatment and control. You’ll also explore a disease or disease-related topic in detail.
What you will study
Why have diseases such as AIDS spread so rapidly through large areas of the world? Why are some populations so badly affected? How have diseases such as smallpox and polio been controlled? What are the reasons for the emergence of new infectious diseases?
Infectious disease and public health is an exciting module that shows how the causes and control of diseases can be understood only by reference to a range of biological information in the appropriate social context. It aims to:
- present a multidisciplinary approach to the study of infectious disease
- illustrate this approach through case studies of a range of infectious diseases
- develop appropriate skills in reading and abstracting the literature and communicating the module themes coherently and from a multidisciplinary perspective.
By the end of the module you will be able to:
- demonstrate a broad understanding of the range of infectious diseases and their causative agents
- demonstrate a broad understanding of the range of techniques used to diagnose infections
- describe biological interactions between hosts and pathogens during an infection, and their evolution over time
- give examples of the influence of social organisation, culture and economic development on the distribution of infectious disease
- demonstrate the ability to interpret basic epidemiological data on infectious disease outbreaks
- discuss strategies to prevent or reduce the impact of infectious diseases, commenting on their strengths and limitations
- use a variety of methods, including electronic search tools, to access both primary and secondary scientific literature and abstract relevant information for a stated purpose
- research and produce an extended piece of written work summarising historical and contemporary aspects of a chosen infectious disease (or diseases) including issues of treatment and control.
Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this module.
At 快猫视频, we believe education should be ;open to all, so we provide high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.
Even though there are no entry requirements, you’ll need appropriate study skills and subject knowledge obtained through:
- OU level 1 and 2 study
- equivalent work at another higher education institution.
What's included
A dedicated module website, online tutorials and forums. All study materials (introduction and guide, three study blocks, case studies, digital microscope, activities and glossary, etc.) and assignment materials are delivered online. There are no printed books.
You will need
You may need to draw diagrams or to annotate by hand diagrams that you download, and then use either a scanner or a digital camera to produce files of these diagrams for inclusion in your assessment.
Computing requirements
You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher.
Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.
To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).
Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.
Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.
It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.