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Principles of Infectious Disease will provide you with a broad understanding of the biology of microbial infections, focussing on bacterial and fungal human infections. You will study the mechanisms of microbial pathogenicity, starting with pathogen transmission and entry into the host, progressing through adhesion and invasion, to cell and tissue damage and host responses to injury. The diseases studied will include tuberculosis, cholera, listeriosis, salmonellosis, gonorrhoea,  pseudomembranous colitis and key fungal infections. 
 

BIOL21192 Pre-requisite is BIOL10532

To explore the fundamentals of how microorganisms cause disease and the interactions that occur between a pathogen and host during infection. To study the mechanisms of microbial pathogenicity (focussing mainly on bacteria as well as important fungal infections), starting with pathogen transmission and entry into the host, progressing through adhesion, invasion and pathogen survival strategies within a host, to cell and tissue damage and host responses to infection. To gain a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenesis and disease for exemplary human pathogens. 
 

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

• Describe the strategies used by bacteria to penetrate host external defences and explain, using examples, the mechanisms used in host colonisation and/or invasion.
• Describe, including examples, bacterial strategies for avoiding killing by phagocytes and explain how they function.
• Describe bacterial strategies for evading complement and antibodies and explain the mechanisms involved.
• Outline key factors that contribute to opportunistic infections.
• Describe the burden of fungal infections in humans and the virulence mechanisms of key fungal pathogens
• Define the structural features of bacterial products that contribute to the pathology of infectious disease (including endotoxin, exotoxins, lipoarabinommannan, pili, polysaccharide capsules, urease, invasins and secreted effector proteins. Use this information to explain how they function.
• Illustrate the mechanisms of action of bacterial exotoxins. Compare and contrast their structures and mechanisms of action.
• Explain the mechanisms of pathogenesis of selected human pathogens in detail (these representing paradigms of pathogen-host interactions) and analyse how these mechanisms promote survival within a host.
• Interpret and analyse primary research papers. 

• Basic concepts of microbial pathogenicity and virulence
  • Colonisation & invasion of the host.
  • Diseases associated with colonisation via pili: uropathogenic Escherichia coli & Neisseria gonorrhoea
  • Encounter with innate & adaptive immunity: Phagocytes, complement, T & B lymphocytes & antibodies. Microbial strategies for overcoming innate & adaptive defences.
• Fungal infections, including key human fungal pathogens & their virulence mechanisms
• Introduction to bacterial toxin types & toxins in specific diseases (diphtheria, botulism, tetanus, cholera & whooping cough)
• Selected human infectious diseases/emerging diseases in detail:
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis & the disease TB
  • Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli
  • Salmonellosis: Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium & Typhi
  • Colonisation of the stomach mucosa by Helicobacter pylori
  • Intracellular survival & spread: Listeria monocytogenes & listeriosis
  • Clostridium difficile & pseudomembranous colitis
  • Borrelia burgdorferi & Lyme disease
  • Camylobacter jejuni & gastrointestinal disease 

On campus, closed book, written examination at the end of the unit (contributing 80% of the unit mark): Section A – MCQs, section B - 1 essay from a choice 

Set exercise 1: Online e-learning assignment based upon reading a research paper. Single online test regarding comprehension of the paper comprising 10 multiple answer and true/false questions) (contributing 20% of the unit mark). 

• An eLearning (ePBL) assessment based on a published research article will be delivered online through Canvas. This should be undertaken during week 5 of the course (deadline week 6) and will form 20% of the overall assessment of the unit.  
• Three MCQ based ‘in course’ optional formative tests will be delivered online via Canvas to provide feedback on understanding prior to the summative assessment
• Lecture slides and other materials/activities that support the lecture material and assessments will be posted on Canvas.
• Optional practice exam essay questions will be posted online for formative feedback 

 

Feedback will be given on the eLearning ePBL and formative MCQ assessments as well as by end of semester exam marks. This will include: (i) formative individual feedback to all students regarding performance in the ePBL and MCQ activities, and (ii) general feedback on exam performance by releasing a document addressing general strengths and weaknesses of answers and how questions were answered, and (iii) feedback on exam performance will be given by a drop-in session run by the unit coordinator in semester 5 or by individual correspondence (written or verbal) upon request.

In addition, discussion of a practice ePBL based on a research paper will take place during a lecture slot prior to the ePBL assessment deadline. Students will also be provided with the opportunity (non-assessed) to write a practice exam essay prior to the exam and will be given individual formative feedback.  

Wilson, BA, Winkler, ME and Ho, BT, Bacterial Pathogenesis: A Molecular approach (4th edition), ASM Press, 2010, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18 & 19 (Recommended) 

 Details of up-to-date relevant reviews will also be provided during the course as optional reading

The year studying abroad is an integral part of the course and must be completed. Some costs, such as tuition fees, are substantially lower. Other costs can vary and are not included in the tuition fee. For example, living costs may be higher or lower than the UK, and there are travel-related costs to consider, such as paying for a passport, visa fees, health insurance, and (if needed) vaccinations.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's (PDF document, 91KB).

Students participating in placements outside the UK may be able to apply for funding from the depending on eligibility. Priority will be given to students from low income households.