Introduces the basic methods for infectious disease epidemiology and case studies of important disease syndromes and entities. Methods include definitions and nomenclature, outbreak investigations, disease surveillance, case-control studies, cohort studies, laboratory diagnosis, molecular epidemiology, dynamics of transmission, and assessment of vaccine field effectiveness. Case-studies focus on acute respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, malaria, and other vector-borne diseases.

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• After taking the course in Infectious Diseases Epidemiology students will be able to describe and understand the main Epidemiological characteristics of the Major infectious diseases of Humans.
• The students will be able to describe how these Epidemiological characteristics can be utilized to develop and evaluate strategies to prevent epidemics or endemic transmission of the major infections of humans.
• The students will be able to develop criteria to be used in the investigation of a new Emerging or Re-emerging Infectious disease to understand the critical Epidemiologic features of this disease that could be used to develop prevention and control programs. Epidemiological characteristics such as Incubation period, Infectious period, means of transmission and reservoir of these infectious diseases will be evaluated

Required

Textbook: Infectious Disease Epidemiology: Theory and Practice. Second Edition, 2006 Edited by Kenrad E. Nelson & Carolyn Masters Williams, Jones and Bartlett Publishers. This text is designed to be used in the course; book chapters have been written by the course lecturers.

The text can be ordered through: 

Matthews Johns Hopkins Medical Book Center
1830 East Monument Street
Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
410.955.3931
800.266.5725
410.955.0576 Fax
http://www.jhumedbooks.com/

Students are required to read all the articles listed and are expected to participate in BBS discussion.

Recommended supplemental reading: “The Power of Plagues,” by Irwin W. Sherman, ASM Press, 2006

Description of Course Assignments

Self-Evaluation quizzes. Short online quizzes have been prepared to assist with your review and understanding of the lecture material. Quizzes will not be graded but completion is required. You can also access the quizzes later to help you review for the exams.

Assignment: At the beginning of the class, a list of articles relevant to the course topic will be posted. Each student will select one article for individual work. Your assignment is to critique a journal article as an editorial comment format (not to exceed 500 words) and the following are questions to address in your critique. 

1. What are the strengths and/or advantages of this article?
2. What are the weak points and/or limitations of this article?
3. What are the implications for public health practice? How can you apply the results and/or findings from this article for public health perspective?
4. Have any points been overemphasized or underemphasized? Suggest specific revisions.
5. What would you have done differently?

LiveTalk: This course has three LiveTalks. Students need to prepare and discuss the questions related to a journal article during LiveTalk 1 and 2 during the first 30 minutes. The articles and questions will be posted one week before each LiveTalk. The second half of these two LiveTalks are opened for lecture-related and other questions. The third LiveTalk will be opened for general, lecture-related and other questions. You can submit your questions via the BBS before each LiveTalk. (There may be other activities or formats for the LiveTalk about which the students will be informed well in advance for preparation.)

Each LiveTalk session will be offered once. If you are not able to attend a LiveTalk session, you must read/listen to the LiveTalk archive and post a response to the BBS under the appropriate category “LiveTalk Makeup”.

Midterm: The midterm will be online and consist of short answer questions. The short answer section will be open book and will test students on Lectures 1-10. Students will be able to print out the exam. Students will create a Microsoft Word document with their answers and submit them via the drop box by the date and time specified on the schedule.

Final: The final exam will be online and consist of multiple choice questions. It will be closed book and timed. Although it will mainly test students on Lectures 11-20, some questions related to Lectures 1-10 may be addressed.

Please refer to the Course Schedule for the available and due dates of both the midterm and final.

Overall Grading Structure

Please send all course-related email to: onlineid@jhsph.edu Primary Faculty Kenrad Nelson, MD Professor  Johns Hopkins School of Public Health  Room E7132A 615 North Wolfe Stree, Baltimore, MD 21205 Email: kenelson@jhsph.edu Phone: 410-955-1296 Fax: 410-955-1836    Assistant: Barbara Gray email: bgray@jhsph.edu William John Moss, MD  Associate Professor Johns Hopkins School of Public Health  Room E6545 615 North Wolfe Stree, Baltimore, MD 21205 Email: wmoss@jhsph.edu Phone: 410-502-1165 Fax: 410-955-1383 Teaching Assistants Ripa Chakravorty email: onlineid@jhsph.edu    Sachin Srinivasan email: onlineid@jhsph.edu

Mondays 8:00-9:00AM: Ripa Chakravorty will be available viat TextChat (Nov 2, 16, 30, Dec 14)

Wednesday at 8:00-9:00PM: Sachin Srinivasan will be available via TextChat (Nov 4, 19, Dec 2, 16)

All times are EST/EDT (-5 GMT).

• Microbiology
• Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Disease
• Modeling of Infectious Diseases
• Vaccines
• Measles
• Disease Eradication
• Infection Control
• Interactions between Nutrition and Infection in the Developing World
• Diarrheal Disease
• Tuberculosis
• Influenza
• CNS Viral Infections
• Lyme Disease
• Malaria
• STDs
• Hepatitis