Epidemics I from edX

“If history is our guide, we can assume that the battle between the intellect and will of the human species and the extraordinary adaptability of microbes will be never-ending.” (1)

Despite all the remarkable technological breakthroughs that we have made over the past few decades, the threat from infectious diseases has significantly accelerated. In this course, we will learn why this is the case by looking at the fundamental scientific principles underlying epidemics and the public health actions behind their prevention and control in the 21st century.

This is the first (origins of novel pathogens) of the four courses, covers these topics:

Epidemics: Past, Present and Future
Discussion on Ebola and Zika Outbreak, and Supplementary Module on Next Generation Informatics for Global Health
Ecology, Evolution and Emergence of Infectious Diseases
Medical Detective: Bug Hunting in Epidemics

如果历史是我们的向导，我们可以认为人类的智慧和意志与微生物种惊人的适应性之间的斗争将永远持续下去。”(1)

尽管过去的几十年间我们在科技领域取得了令人瞩目的突破，可是传染病对人类的威胁却显著增加。本课程将通过学习流行病学的基础科学原理以及预防与控制流行病的公共卫生措施，对上述现象予以阐释。

这是四個课程中的第一个（新型病原體的起源）：

流行病：过去、现在和未来
讨论埃博拉和寨卡疫情的爆发，以及全球卫生信息学的补充单元
传染病的生态、演变和形成
医学侦探：追踪流行病的病原体

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(1) Fauci AS, Touchette NA, Folkers GK. Emerging Infectious Diseases: a 10-Year Perspective from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Emerg Infect Dis 2005 Apr; 11(4):519-25.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Historic transitions and emergence of epidemic infections
Factors leading to infectious disease emergence and re-emergence
Regions with higher risk and estimated economic costs of emerging infectious disease
Ecology, evolution and emergence of infectious diseases such as zika, ebola, h5n1, h7n9, h1n1 and swine influenza
Discovery, proof of association and causation, and control (case review on sars)

流行病的历史性转变和形成
形成传染病和传染病重现的因素
传染病风险较高和估计经济成本较高的地区
寨卡、埃博拉、h5n1、h7n9、h1n1和猪流感等传染病的生态、演变和形成
发现、关联和因果关系的证明以及控制（sars病例回顾）

Historic transitions and emergence of epidemic infections
Factors leading to infectious disease emergence and re-emergence
Regions with higher risk and estimated economic costs of emerging infectious disease
Ecology, evolution and emergence of infectious diseases such as zika, ebola, h5n1, h7n9, h1n1 and swine influenza
Discovery, proof of association and causation, and control (case review on sars)
流行病的历史性转变和形成
形成传染病和传染病重现的因素
传染病风险较高和估计经济成本较高的地区
寨卡、埃博拉、h5n1、h7n9、h1n1和猪流感等传染病的生态、演变和形成
发现、关联和因果关系的证明以及控制（sars病例回顾）

Syllabus

Week 1: Epidemics: Past, Present and Future

What is epidemic?

How epidemics of infectious disease arise from historic transitions?

Why novel emerging infectious diseases continue to arise?

Emerging infectious disease, re-emerging infectious disease and zoonosis

Factors leading to infectious disease emergence and re-emergence (microbial factors, climate and weather, changes in ecosystem and land use, human demographics, migrations and behaviour, international travel and commerce, technology, industry and intensive animal husbandry, breakdown in public health due to poverty, wars, natural disasters, and bioterrorism)

Regions with higher risk of future emerging infectious disease and estimated economic costs of emerging infectious disease

Week 2: Discussion on Ebola and Zika Outbreak, and Supplementary Module on Next Generation Informatics for Global Health

How to prepare for the next epidemic?

How to allocate our resources among our fights against different pathogens?

How should we channel our resources?

Vaccines

Antimicrobial resistance

Supplementary module: towards digital pathogen surveillance: a very bumpy, winding road

Week 3: Ecology, Evolution and Emergence of Infectious Diseases

Ecology of infectious diseases

Emerging infectious diseases at the human-animal interface

What is phylogenetic tree?

How to use phylogenetic trees to study an epidemic of infectious disease?

Emergence of highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza virus in Asia

Emergence of the H7N9 Influenza A virus in china

Swine Influenza and the 2009 pandemic H1N1

Week 4: Discussion on Ebola Outbreak, and Supplementary Module on Next Generation Informatics for Global Health

Ebola in the wider context

Border controls

Is stopping bushmeat the answer?

How should we use experimental treatments and vaccines?

Should we centralise care and enforce lockdowns?

Will Ebola become airborne?

Will Ebola be become a huge human pandemic like HIV?

Supplementary module: global variation in risk of influenza virus emergence

Week 5: Medical Detective: Bug Hunting in Epidemics

Discovery of a novel microbe: first suspicion

Finding the cause of interstitial pneumonia

The identification of the novel virus associated with this infectious pneumonia

Proof of association & causation: is SARS coronavirus really the cause of SARS?

Control of emerging infections depends on: control at the source

Alert: coronavirus as the cause of emerging infectious diseases!

Supplementary module: using genetic data at multiple scales to understand constraints on viral evolution

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Taught by experts in infectious disease with medical research experience and public health actions

Covers the fundamentals of epidemics and public health actions in the 21st century

Examines the ecology, evolution, and emergence of infectious diseases like Zika, Ebola, and H1N1

Provides a historical perspective of epidemics and their impact on society

Uses case studies to demonstrate the discovery and control of emerging infectious diseases

Relevant for students in public health, epidemiology, and infectious disease research

May require a basic understanding of public health principles

Reviews summary

Highly rated epidemics course

Learners say this course is excellent. They describe materials as interesting and especially appreciate the engaging assignments.

Assignments help you understand the material.

"Everything in this course is interesting!"

"learning control measures, how to interpret epidemics graphics, being introduced to philogenetics, reviewing some outbreak cases."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Epidemics I with these activities:

Watch video lectures on emerging infectious diseases

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Watching video lectures on emerging infectious diseases will help you learn from experts in the field and gain a deeper understanding of the topic.

Browse courses on Emerging Infectious Diseases

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Find a series of video lectures on emerging infectious diseases.
Watch the lectures and take notes.
Summarize the key points of the lectures.

Read 'The Coming Plague' by Laurie Garrett

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Reading 'The Coming Plague' will give you a comprehensive overview of the history of epidemics and the challenges facing public health in the 21st century.

View The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a... on Amazon

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Purchase or borrow a copy of 'The Coming Plague'.
Read the book carefully, taking notes as you go.
Discuss the book with a friend or colleague.

Practice solving epidemiology problems

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Practicing solving epidemiology problems will help you develop the critical thinking skills necessary to solve real-world public health problems.

Browse courses on Epidemiology

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Find a collection of epidemiology problems.
Solve the problems using the steps of the epidemiologic method.
Check your answers and identify areas where you need improvement.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Write a blog post about a recent epidemic

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Writing a blog post about a recent epidemic will help you synthesize your understanding of the course material and communicate it to others.

Browse courses on Emerging Infectious Diseases

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Choose an epidemic to write about.
Research the epidemic, including its causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Write a blog post that describes the epidemic and explains its significance.

Participate in an epidemiology hackathon

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Participating in an epidemiology hackathon will give you the opportunity to apply your skills to a real-world problem and collaborate with other epidemiologists.

Browse courses on Epidemiology

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Find an epidemiology hackathon to participate in.
Form a team of epidemiologists and other experts.
Develop a solution to the hackathon challenge.

Volunteer at a local health clinic

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Volunteering at a local health clinic will give you hands-on experience in public health and help you understand the challenges faced by frontline healthcare workers.

Browse courses on Public Health

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Contact your local health clinic and ask about volunteer opportunities.
Complete the necessary training and background checks.
Volunteer regularly at the clinic, assisting with tasks such as patient intake, data entry, and health education.

Develop a public health campaign for an emerging infectious disease

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Developing a public health campaign for an emerging infectious disease will help you apply your knowledge of epidemiology and public health to a real-world problem.

Browse courses on Public Health

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Choose an emerging infectious disease to focus on.
Research the disease, including its causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Develop a public health campaign to raise awareness of the disease and promote prevention.

Career center

Learners who complete Epidemics I will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists investigate patterns and causes of disease and injury in populations. The skills and knowledge you gain in this course will be important for this type of work, as you will learn about the factors that lead to the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, as well as the methods used to control them.

See salaries and explore the career path for Epidemiologist

Medical Scientist

Medical scientists conduct research to understand the causes and treatments of disease. This course will provide you with a strong foundation in the scientific principles underlying epidemics, which will be essential for success in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Medical Scientist

Public Health Specialist

Public health specialists work to protect and improve the health of communities. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to be successful in this field, as you will learn about the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Health Specialist

Infectious Disease Physician

Infectious disease physicians diagnose and treat patients with infectious diseases. This course will provide you with a strong foundation in the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases, which will be essential for success in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Infectious Disease Physician

Virologist

Virologists study viruses and the diseases they cause. This course will provide you with a strong foundation in the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases, which will be essential for success in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Virologist

Microbiologist

Microbiologists study microorganisms and the diseases they cause. This course will provide you with a strong foundation in the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases, which will be essential for success in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Microbiologist

Parasitologist

Parasitologists study parasites and the diseases they cause. This course will provide you with a strong foundation in the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases, which will be essential for success in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Parasitologist

Health Policy Analyst

Health policy analysts develop and evaluate policies to improve the health of populations. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to be successful in this field, as you will learn about the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Policy Analyst

Health Educator

Health educators develop and implement programs to promote health and prevent disease. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to be successful in this field, as you will learn about the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases.

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Science Writer

Science writers communicate complex scientific information to the public. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to be successful in this field, as you will learn about the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases.

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Clinical Research Coordinator

Clinical research coordinators manage clinical trials and ensure that they are conducted in accordance with ethical and regulatory standards. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to be successful in this field, as you will learn about the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Clinical Research Coordinator

Data Analyst

Data analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to identify trends and patterns. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to be successful in this field, as you will learn about the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Consultant

Consultants provide advice and guidance to organizations on a variety of topics. This course may be useful for those who wish to work as a consultant in the field of public health, as it will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to understand and address the challenges of preventing and controlling infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Consultant

Teacher

Teachers educate students at all levels. This course may be useful for those who wish to teach about public health, as it will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to understand and explain the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases.

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Journalist

Journalists report on current events and issues. This course may be useful for those who wish to specialize in reporting on public health, as it will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to understand and explain the principles of epidemiology and the methods used to prevent and control infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Journalist