TM5002 - Infectious Diseases

[Not offered in 2023]

This subject aims to bring health practitioners up to date on the current knowledge and theories regarding those infectious diseases of relevance to populations in tropical Australia and its near neighbours. It provides information on the morphology and biology of different classes of micro-organisms infecting people, the way they cause disease, how they are transmitted, how infectious agents are diagnosed and attacked. The focus is on diseases caused by prions, viruses, bacteria, rickettsia, chlamydia and fungi which are encountered in tropical Australasia. Protozoa and metazoa causing disease in the tropics are not covered in this subject. These are dealt with in other subjects, particularly Human Parasitology (TM5503) and Medical Entomology ( TM5518).

Learning Outcomes

• be able to discuss antibiotics and antiviral agents in general;
• demonstrate a sound knowledge of particular infectious agents of importance in tropical Australasia;
• demonstrate an understanding of how these infectious agents cause disease;
• demonstrate understanding of the biology of these infectious agents;
• describe how particular infectious agents are identified as the causative agents of disease;
• describe the morphology of micro-organisms causing disease in humans;
• discuss strategies used by infectious agents for transmission;
• discuss the relationship between different micro-organisms pathogenic to humans.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.