Zoonotic Diseases VETMED5053

  • Academic Session: 2023-24
  • School: School of Biodiversity One Health Vet Med
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Summer
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Taught Wholly by Distance Learning: Yes

Short Description

This course provides the opportunity to acquire a broad knowledge and understanding of the origins and transmission of the major zoonotic diseases and the One Health challenges that exist in understanding and controlling them. Using specific examples, the course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to apply critical evaluation of the human and veterinary public health threats these diseases pose. The course will also define and address the issue of emerging zoonotic diseases and the One Health impact these pose.

Timetable

This course is made up of lectures and tutorials in the summer semester.

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

This course is assessed 100% by written assessment, including one case study of 2500 to 3000 words (50%) and an asynchronous discussion board contribution (30%) with a written reflection to follow (800 words approx.) (20% each).

Course Aims

The overall aim of this course is to:

 

■ Provide students with a broad knowledge of the most significant bacterial, parasitic and viral zoonotic diseases and understanding of the veterinary and human public health impacts these have.

■ Equip the students with the ability to utilise the scientific literature and publicly available resources to effectively determine the One Health impact of zoonotic infectious diseases, including the emerging zoonotic diseases.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

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

 

■ Demonstrate broad and comprehensive knowledge of the major bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens of humans and, in a One Health context, be able to evaluate and critically describe the public health measures that aim to control them.

■ Critically review and demonstrate understanding of how zoonotic diseases effect both human health and animal production systems.

■ Demonstrate critical understanding and awareness of emerging zoonotic diseases and detail the One Health challenges these present.

■ Detail examples of the ways veterinary and human public health systems and laboratories apply One Health approaches to diagnose and control zoonotic diseases in animals and humans and demonstrate awareness of the latest scientific innovations and developments in this area.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

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