Introduction to Zoonotic Diseases
2023-24 Sem B
3 - Science and Technology
Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences
Infectious Diseases and Public Health
3
B2
50%
No
VM 2105 Introduction to zoonoses
Completion of Year 1 courses with C grade or above (for Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine students)
English
English
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The overall aim of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive framework to understand the complex ecological and epidemiological relationships between zoonotic infectious agents, their hosts and the environment (One Health). Initially students will be introduced to basic principles of infectious diseases and their dynamics in the individual host and the population. The students will then learn about classic zoonoses including Rabies, Brucellosis, Anthrax and Bovine Tuberculosis, how these have shaped human history and specifically the development of State veterinary services. We will also discuss Avian Influenza with emphasis on local and regional epidemiology. Emerging and re-emerging diseases to be addressed include zoonotic Coronaviruses, Q fever and Henipavirus infections. Vector-borne diseases will cover mosquito-borne pathogens (viral encephalitides, Rift Valley fever etc.), tick-borne pathogens (Lyme disease, Tularemia etc.) or flea-borne pathogens (Typhus, Plague), and will include principles on the relationships between vectors and their vertebrate hosts, such as vectorial capacity. Zoonoses transmitted by animal bites and scratches will also be presented, as well as rodent-borne zoonoses including those caused by Hantaviruses and Leptospirosis. The course will place special emphasis on the multiple factors driving the emergence and transmission of zoonotic diseases. The burden of zoonoses globally, as well as preventive measures (e.g. vaccination), surveillance systems and the concept of disease notification will also be addressed.

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