handbook - HKU Common Core Curriculum - The University of Hong ...

Scientific & Technological Literacy
Course Code // CCST9008
Required Reading
Greenwood, D. (2007). Medical microbiology: A guide to
microbial infections: Pathogenesis, immunity, laboratory
diagnosis and control (17th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill
Livingstone.
Nelson, K. E., & Williams, C. M. (2007). Infectious disease
epidemiology: Theory and practice (2nd ed.). Sudbury,
MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Pommerville, J. C., & Alcamo, I. E. (2007). Alcamo’s
fundamentals of microbiology (8th ed.). Sudbury, MA:
Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Study Load
Activities Number of hours
Lectures 20
Tutorials 8
Practical classes 6
Visit to the Hong Kong Museum of
Medical Sciences 3
Reading / Self-study 30
Assessment: Essay / Report writing 25
Assessment: Presentation (incl preparation) 25
Assessment: In-class test 3
Total: 120
Assessment: 100% coursework
Assessment Tasks Weighting
In-class test 30
Topic presentation and report 40
Short essay 30
Lecture Time // Second semester (Wed)
Infectious Disease in a Changing World
Infectious disease is one of the key threats to global health. The emergence of new
pathogens, the re-emergence of old pathogens, the growing problem of antimicrobial
resistance, and the threat of bioterrorism pose substantial difficulties to public
health and patient management. HIV, SARS, avian influenza and pandemic influenza,
extensively-resistant tuberculosis, cholera, community-acquired methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus are just some recent reminders that emerging infections can
strike both the developing and industrialized countries equally. China, as the most populous
country in the world and one of the fastest growing economies, has also been one
of the epicenters for emerging infectious diseases. This course aims to: (i) introduce
the concepts of microbes and infection; (ii) introduce the concepts of emerging and
re-emerging infectious diseases and their local and global significance; (iii) illustrate
the importance of infectious disease in the history of humankind; (iv) study the role of
nations in the global control of emerging infectious diseases, with special reference to
China and Hong Kong; (v) examine some basic tools to understand infectious diseases
and the pathogens; and (vi) explore some of the controversial issues in the prevention
and management of infectious diseases.
Course Learning Outcomes
On completing the course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate understanding of the interaction
between microbes and humans in infectious
diseases.
2. Describe the environmental, ecological, social,
historical, and human factors in determining
the epidemiology of infectious diseases.
3. Balance the risk and benefits of vaccination as
a preventive measure for infectious diseases.
4. Demonstrate understanding of the ecology and
epidemiology of some important emerging and
re-emerging infectious diseases that are locally
or globally important.
5. Demonstrate understanding of the importance
of a free flow of information in the global control
of infectious diseases.
Course Co-ordinator
Dr S.S.Y. Wong
Department of Microbiology,
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Tel: 2255 4892
Email: samsonsy@hku.hk
Teacher(s):
Dr S.S.Y. Wong
Department of Microbiology,
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Tel: 2255 4892
Email: samsonsy@hku.hk
Professor K.Y. Yuen
Department of Microbiology,
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Tel: 2255 4892
Email: kyyuen@hku.hk
Professor J.S.M. Peiris
Department of Microbiology,
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Tel: 2255 4888
Email: malik@hku.hk
Dr P.L. Ho
Department of Microbiology,
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Tel: 2255 4193
Email: plho@hku.hk
http://commoncore.hku.hk/ccst9008
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