EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES - 2019/0
Module code: MMVM003
Module Overview
In this module, students will assimilate and build upon concepts of epidemiology, surveillance, veterinary public health and molecular epidemiology. The topics are inter-related as they are concerned with how these influence wider society, which veterinary professionals need to consider in order to tackle One Health issues. The topics studied here provide the foundation for the study of population medicine and research.
Module provider
School of Veterinary Medicine
Module Leader
PRADA Joaquin (Vet Med)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 7
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Independent Learning Hours: 100
Lecture Hours: 41
Practical/Performance Hours: 9
Module Availability
Semester 1
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
N/A
Module content
Indicative content includes:
Epidemiology:
- An introduction to epidemiology
- Describing health & disease
- Measures of disease frequency
- Epidemiological concepts of causation
- Measures of association
- Epidemiological study design
- Hypothesis testing and statistical tests
- Interpretation of diagnostic tests
Molecular Epidemiology
- Introduction to molecular epidemiology
- How does it help decision making
- Sources and pathways of infection
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Critical Evaluation of Scientific Paper (Oral Presentation) | 40 |
| Coursework | Epidemiological Study Design (1500 words Essay) | 60 |
Alternative Assessment
Alternative Assessment: Alternative assessment for oral presentation will be the critical evaluation of a published molecular epidemiology study (max 1000 words) with accompanying slides.
Assessment Strategy
Assessment strategy:
Coursework comprising:
i) a critical evaluation of a published molecular epidemiology study to be presented on the final afternoon of the module (oral presentation, 40%) and
ii) a written outline of a proposed study design with accompanying explanations regarding the choice of study design and techniques used to be submitted in week as timetabled, 1500 words (60%).
Students will receive verbal feedback during each lecture – this is achieved by the Lecturers asking questions and assessing student responses and input into discussions. The lecturer will then highlight areas of confusion or provide clarity where necessary. Individual one-to-one discussions are also possible with this small group of students.
Module aims
- To provide an introduction to veterinary epidemiology
- To provide a basic overview of the terminology and applications of epidemiological studies
- To provide an understanding of the importance of designing molecular typing studies in accordance with epidemiological principles.
- To provide a basic overview of the application of molecular epidemiology in infectious disease investigations and research studies.
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 001 | Demonstrate an adequate understanding of epidemiological terminology | K |
| 002 | Demonstrate an adequate understanding about disease causation | K |
| 003 | Critically assess the advantages and disadvantages of the different epidemiological studies | K |
| 004 | Critically assess the suitability of study designs and the strength of association between a risk and an outcome | K |
| 005 | Discuss how to design and carry out a disease outbreak investigation | K |
| 006 | Demonstrate an adequate working knowledge of the epidemiological principles that should be considered when designing a molecular epidemiological study. | K |
| 007 | Critically assess the suitability of different molecular subtyping techniques for different study designs and their abilities to support different scales of epidemiological research questions. | K |
| 008 | Critically assess the epidemiological suitability of a set of typing data to answer specific research questions. | K |
| 009 | Explain how elucidating patterns in pathogen strain variation across time, space and host populations can help to inform disease control programmes. | K |
| 010 | Discuss how the information gained from a molecular epidemiological study of infectious disease may be enhanced by the addition of ecology and population biology tools. | K |
| 011 | Evaluate the validity of epidemiological study approaches to certain hypotheses | C |
| 012 | Evaluate the suitability and quality of diagnostic tests | C |
| 013 | Evaluate the epidemiological validity of a molecular typing study. | C |
| 014 | Evaluate the approach to designing a molecular epidemiological study in relation to the choices of typing methods, analytical techniques and research objective. | C |
| 015 | Use knowledge from other disciplines/ previous modules to solve complex research questions | T |
| 016 | Investigate and analyse problems | T |
| 017 | Participate in group discussions and on group assignments | T |
| 018 | Critically asses scientific literature | T |
| 019 | Work independently demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time management | T |
| 020 | Communicate effectively orally and in written work. | T |
| 021 | Collaborate with other disciplines to solve complex research questions | T |
| 022 | Integrate numerical and non-numerical information. | T |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
- Stimulate students to take an epidemiological approach to animal health and disease.
- Enhance critical thinking and ability to evaluate evidence
- Introduce concepts from animal health surveillance to encourage multi-disciplinary thinking
The learning and teaching methods include:
- Lectures, seminars & small group discussions, on line librbary modules
- Practicals involving computer-based exercises handling data and performing statistical calculations
- Group presentations
There are a total of 41 hours of lecture, seminars and small group discussions, 13 hours of practicals or online modules, and 6 hours of self study
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MMVM003
Programmes this module appears in
| Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Microbiology MSc | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2019/0 academic year.