Bite Me?

Catalog description

Arthropod-borne diseases represent some of the most dangerous and major challenges facing human health. They have shaped the course of history and have remained a threat. Everyone has, at one point or the other, been exposed to the nuisance and bites of arthropods and, therefore, potentially to the diseases they may carry. The effects of these arthropod-borne diseases on human health are increasing and spreading. Factors such as the development of resistant parasite strains to the currently available drugs, and the evolution of insecticide resistance to the currently available insecticides account for this increase and spread. Other factors such as constantly changing climate, trade, unplanned urbanization, changes in agricultural practices, and human travel also aid the establishment of these diseases thereby intensifying disease transmission or causing disease emergence in areas where they were previously unknown. This is a multidisciplinary course that covers concepts and topics from the fields of entomology, medicine, public health, biology, parasitology, microbiology, and veterinary medicine, and will address the interactions of arthropods to humans and the environment. It will present pressing issues relating to the impact of arthropods in public health and will also explore challenging questions such as “what are the emerging issues in vector biology and disease epidemiology”? and “what can be done to manage or prevent the occurrence of arthropod-borne diseases”? This course affords students the ability to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.