Section A06: Plagues, Pandemics and Pestilence
This course will look at the biological causes of various world health problems past and present such as bubonic plague, small pox, polio, HIV/AIDS and bird flu. Topics of discussion will include: How are diseases spread? How can we stop the spread of a disease? How does the immune system fight off a disease? How can pathogens be used as biological weapons? Should we still get vaccinated or is it too dangerous? A background in biology is not needed; all biological concepts needed to understand the material will be introduced in the course.