Develop critical appreciation of the spread of infection

This module aims to develop a critical appreciation of the nature of the spread of infectious diseases and the control points at which the cycle of infection can be broken, as well as an understanding of statistical methods and basic computer modelling methods that are used to study epidemics and identify the appropriate control strategies. Particular emphasis is given to vaccines, including development of novel vaccines and the methods for assessing them, and the prevention of transmission of infection by food and water.

• At the end of the module you should be able to:
• discuss critically the chain/cycle of infection and its use in identifying control points where further spread can be interrupted
• describe the methods used to study the epidemiology of infectious diseases and discuss their impact on control strategies
• explain the statistical methods used to study and model outbreaks and epidemics, and apply these methods to analysis of a simple example
• compare the properties of existing vaccines and the strategies for their use
• critically discuss  the methods used to develop and test new vaccines, and analyse data on vaccine efficacy
• describe the factors affecting microbial growth and survival in food and water and explain how the principal methods of food processing affect food microflora
• explain and evaluate the measures taken to ensure the microbiological quality of food and water

Introduction: cycle of infection, control points, routes of transmission, reservoirs

Basic epidemiological methods: Descriptive studies; mortality statistics; SMR; morbidity statistics; analytical studies; cohort and case control studies

Identification of risk factors

Statistical methods: relative and attributable risk; odds ratios; ANOVA; confounding and multiple risk factors; logistic regression

Notification and reporting of infectious diseases; Outbreak investigation; control of hospital infections

Diagnostic tests - sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values

Typing & fingerprinting; molecular epidemiology

Mathematical modelling of epidemics; reproductive rates, herd immunity; computer modelling

Design and analysis of vaccine trials

Conventional and novel vaccines: toxoids, attenuated vaccines (including rational attenuation), killed, subunit, live recombinant, DNA, peptides

Strategies for vaccine use

Control of zoonoses

Recent trends in the epidemiology of food poisoning in the

Factors affecting the growth and survival of microbes in foods

Sampling and quality control

HACCP

Water supplies and sewage treatment

Essential reading:

• Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Giesecke, J., Arnold , 2002 (ISBN: 0340764236)

   

• OR

   

• Epidemiology Kept Simple, Gerstman, B.B , John Wiley, 2003 (ISBN: 0471400289)

   

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Recommended reading:

• Food Microbiology: MR Adams and MO Moss , Royal Society of Chemistry , 2008 (ISBN  0854042849)

   

• Epidemiology for the Uninitiated, Barker, D.J.P., Coggon, D., Rose, G,  BMJ Publishing, 2003 (ISBN: 0727916041)

   

• Basic Statistics and Epidemiology: a practical guide, Antony Stewart, Abingdon: