Course Organiser: Dr Barry Kingston, Department of Pathology e-mail: ibk1000@cam.ac.uk

The aim of this course is to extend students’ understanding of infectious disease processes through consideration of the interaction between a variety of infectious organisms and host defences. There is a particular focus on current, topical areas in Virology, Microbiology and Parasitology that impact on human health, often on a global scale. The course will highlight the threat posed by novel and emerging infectious agents and strategies used for eradication, control and treatment. This course in infectious disease will be attended by all NST students that elected to take the Pathology IB course, as well as those MVST students who chose it as one of their IB Options.

On completion of the course, students will be expected to have reached the following objectives:

• an understanding of the molecular basis of pathogenicity in several diseases of global importance;
• an understanding of the social and ecological factors that contribute to the transmission of these diseases;
• an understanding of the role of host factors in conferring both resistance and susceptibility to these diseases;

The course will consist of 12 lectures. It will extend the subject matter dealt with in Biology of Disease and assist the transition in study pattern from Part IB to Part II.

Lectures in 2012-13 will be 12-1 in the Main Chemistry Lecture Theatre

Provisional titles are as follows:

Wednesday, 27 February 2013 - Noroviruses
Friday, 1 March 2013- Emerging virus infections I
Monday, 4 March 2013- Emerging virus infections I
Wednesday, 6 March 2013- Viral Hepatitis: causes, consequences and cures
Friday, 8 March 2013- Zoonoses: Toxoplasmosis
Monday, 11 March 2013- Zoonoses: Trypanosomiasis
Wednesday, 13 March 2013- Zoonoses: Leishmaniasis
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 - Emerging bacterial diseases, old and new
Friday, 26 April 2013- Molecular aspects of prion diseases
Monday, 29 April 2013- The evolution of pathogenic bacteria
Wednesday, 1 May 2013- Bacterial Zoonosis
Friday, 3 May 2013- Tuberculosis

Assessment:

Two essays from a choice of five.