An Introduction to Infectious Diseases

Overview

Course No. 1511
Arm yourself with scientific facts about bacterial infections, viruses, vaccines, and more in this engaging course by an award-winning professor and physician. Infectious diseases touch the lives of everyone on the planet. Whether it’s something as minor as a brush with the common cold or as serious as Ebola, we all have grappled with infections and will continue to encounter them as we age. On a worldwide scale, infectious diseases account for 26 percent of all deaths, second only to cardiovascular diseases. Unlike chronic diseases, infectious diseases are unique in their potential for explosive global impacts.

Now, in the 24 engaging lectures of Introduction to Infectious Diseases, you can get a comprehensive overview of diseases from the mundane to the fatal from renowned physician and award-winning professor Dr. Barry Fox. Begin with an overview of the microscopic particles responsible for disease: bacteria, fungi, hybrid germs, and viruses. You will see how they invade the body; look through the microscope at pathogens to identify their inner components; follow germs through different body systems and see what effects they have; and learn why we may be losing the battle against some germs. Cut through the medical myths and get a solidly scientific guide to keeping yourself and your loved ones as protected as possible from pathogens, including a no-nonsense guide to vaccinations, tips on keeping a healthier home environment, and valuable advice for world travelers.

Whether you have a love for biology, a curiosity about the world’s many infectious diseases, or a certain amount of trepidation about what the future holds, you will enjoy Dr. Fox’s impeccable bedside manner, insider knowledge, and humorous personal stories. Most importantly, you will be empowered to make the best choices for yourself, your loved ones, and future generations.

Video Lectures

01: The Dynamic World of Infectious Disease

Dive into the fascinating stories behind three notorious diseases: bubonic plague, malaria, and polio. See how scientists of the time were able to discover the causes of these diseases and develop effective treatments. Also, learn why infectious diseases are still a pressing issue for our society, despite our advances in science and technology.
Duration: 32 min

02: Bacteria: Heroes and Villains

Start your study of the basic elements of germ theory with bacteria. Once you’ve inspected the anatomy of a bacterium cell and its function, explore how bacteria can cause disease and how they can adapt to make themselves elusive to your immune system. Then, investigate three diseases caused by bacteria: diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.
Duration: 32 min

03: Viruses: Hijackers of Your Body’s Cells

Zoom in to see a particle 100 times smaller than bacteria: the virus, which can replicate inside living cells. Follow the life cycle of a virus as you see what viruses like HIV and Ebola do to host cells. Meet two germs that fall between bacteria and viruses—the spirochete and rickettsia.
Duration: 33 min

04: Moldy Menaces and Fungal Diseases

Although fungal diseases usually don’t involve humans, they can indirectly affect us and have played a major role in human history. Investigate diverse infections that can be acquired when you come into contact with mold or fungus—sometimes by raking or blowing rotting leaves! Also learn whether or not you should have your household duct system cleaned regularly.
Duration: 31 min

05: Milestones in Infectious Disease History

Where would we be without the scientists that brought to life the inventions and discoveries that are the foundations of modern medicine? In this lecture, meet some of the people who developed the tools to identify microorganisms, the means to pinpoint the source of a disease, the vaccinations to prevent them, and the drugs to treat them.
Duration: 33 min

06: Antibiotics: A Modern Miracle Lost?

Trace the history of antibiotic development and explore how the eight classes of antibiotics attack bacterial infections. Gain an introduction to the increasingly important concern of antibiotic resistance, and learn how you can contribute to the more prudent use of antibiotics.
Duration: 33 min

07: Which Germs in Your Daily Life Matter?

Microbes are all around us—the question is “What do we have to worry about?” From airplanes to restaurants, hotel rooms to your master bathroom, learn how you can protect yourself from germs without becoming totally obsessed with them. Is there any truth to the Five Second Rule? Find out in this lecture.
Duration: 31 min

08: Six Decades of Infectious Disease Challenges

Track the history of infectious diseases decade by decade: the easily cured childhood illnesses of the 50s, the diseases spread by risky behaviors in the 60s, and the outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in the late 70s, followed by the tragedies of human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, in the 80s and 90s.
Duration: 31 min

09: Vaccines Save Lives

From routine childhood vaccinations to the experimental vaccines given to Ebola patients in Africa and the United States, vaccines have a powerful effect on public health. Learn the facts about the four different types of vaccines and their components, and discover why the concept of herd immunity is critical to public health.
Duration: 32 min

10: The Immune System: Our Great Protector

Take a closer look at the intricate components of your body that try to protect you from dangerous infectious diseases. Then, explore immunosenescence—the changes in your immune system as you age—and learn proven ways to keep your immune system strong and prevent illness.
Duration: 32 min

11: Zoonosis: Germs Leap from Animals to Humans

Seventy percent of infectious diseases originate from wildlife. Why are new diseases—such as bird flu and swine flu—so prevalent, and how are these exotic diseases being transmitted from animals to humans? Learn how to protect yourself from these diseases, including two you can get from your cat.
Duration: 33 min

12: Tick-Borne Diseases: A Public Health Menace

These small ectoparasites have emerged in force and have created a new public health crisis. Discover why tick-borne diseases are so easy to contract but difficult to diagnose, and get the facts about Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness in the United States.
Duration: 31 min

13: Food-Borne Illness: What’s Your Gut Feeling?

From traveler’s diarrhea to food poisoning, explore a myriad of illnesses that can enter the body through the food you eat. Gain an awareness of a severe bacterial infection that is on the rise in hospitals, particularly in patients over age 65.
Duration: 32 min

14: Respiratory and Brain Infections

Turn now to severe respiratory and central nervous system illnesses that may have deadly consequences. Zoom in to the cellular level to see how complicated these infections can be, and how deadly pneumonia and bacterial meningitis can become. Learn to recognize the symptoms of pneumonia and meningitis, and when to seek medical attention.
Duration: 30 min

15: Flesh-Eating Bacteria and Blood Poisoning

Continue your study of the body with infections that affect the skin and bloodstream, including the powerful sepsis infection, which is responsible for 10% of deaths in the United States. Get the facts on necrotizing fasciitis, or “flesh-eating bacteria,” and travel back 40 years to follow the evolution of the resistant bacteria MRSA.
Duration: 32 min

16: STDs and Other Infections below the Belt

Begin this lecture with a fascinating story of a twist of fate in 1951 that turned out to be one of the most important developments in medical history. Then, study infections that attack the urinary tract and pelvic organs, and learn more about the wide range of sexually transmitted diseases.
Duration: 31 min

17: Stay Out of the Hospital!

Go behind the scenes at a hospital, and unveil the truth: what is perceived as a pristine and sterile environment is really bustling with all kinds of germs. Discover why some hospitals forbid their doctors to wear white coats and wedding rings, and learn what you can do to protect yourself if you must be hospitalized.
Duration: 31 min

18: The Nemesis of Mankind: HIV and AIDS

More than three decades after the first cases of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were reported, the global health community is still dealing with a pandemic of 33 million infected people, of which about 3 million are children. Learn the scientific facts behind this virus and why it is so difficult to find a vaccine or cure.
Duration: 31 min

19: Malaria and Tuberculosis: Global Killers

In spite of a multitude of global efforts to decrease their mortality rates, these two ancient diseases are still the deadliest in the world. Go beyond vaccines and mosquito netting and see the innovative experiments being conducted in an attempt to eradicate malaria and tuberculosis.
Duration: 32 min

20: Global Travel, War, and Natural Disasters

Witness the toll infectious diseases take on populations during times of war and natural disasters, using examples from Napoleon’s armies to modern-day Syria. Then, learn why your personal physician isn’t the best person to talk to about risks when you’re about to embark on foreign travel.
Duration: 32 min

21: Influenza: Past and Future Threat

Despite being a common disease, the flu is responsible for some of the deadliest pandemics of all time. Explore two important biological aspects of influenza—antigenic drift and antigenic shift—to understand why changes in viruses can have such a huge impact on disease prevalence.
Duration: 32 min

22: Bioterrorism: How Worried Should We Be?

Explore the three scenarios that pose the greatest threats in a bioterrorism attack: an airborne agent like anthrax, a smallpox attack, and a release of botulinum toxin in cold drinks. Understand the steps that the CDC takes to protect the public and what you can do as an average citizen.
Duration: 32 min

23: Emerging and Reemerging Diseases

The outbreak of Ebola in 2014 in West Africa became an international crisis in a matter of weeks—even traveling across the ocean to the United States. Explore deadly emerging and reemerging diseases that continually challenge our detection and response abilities.
Duration: 31 min

24: Outbreak! Contagion! The Next Pandemic!

Using your newly acquired infectious disease knowledge, look into the future and discern what the next pandemic might be—one that would reach all continents quickly, be difficult to treat, be extremely deadly, and perhaps threaten the very survival of the human race!
Duration: 35 min