MICROBIO 450 Outbreak: Emerging Infectious Disease and Society

Infectious disease has many effects on the development of society, and likewise, human interactions affect the development of disease.  Emerging and reemerging infectious disease is a contemporary global issue of great concern. We live in a time with very militant anti-vaccine movements and disease etiology denialists. This course examines these interactions with a focus on the role of race, class, and economic status in the development of epidemics. The course also covers the germ theory, disease history and ecology, microbial pathogenesis and the immune response, historic plagues, and the biological, environmental, population and social changes that contribute to disease emergence.