Emerging Infections of
International Public Health Importance

Welcome to the on-line Emerging Infections of International Public Health Importance course.  The original course began in 1995 and was jointly funded by University of Washington and the Centers for Disease Control.

The distance learning site for "Emerging Infections" was developed to serve two purposes.

• First, it is designed to provide information and teaching materials for teachers in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Economies. We hope to enhance collaborative learning about emerging infections among our colleagues in the Pacific Rim and are actively soliciting materials from other economies to complement those now on the site.
   
  
• Second, it is designed for the student of public health. Materials have been compiled into a structured course for credit through the University of Washington. The distance learning site was first presented in 1999 to in-residence graduate students. Due to the success of the class and the satisfaction among students, it has become an ongoing course.

Course Coordinators:

Dr. Ann Marie Kimball,  MD, MPH Professor, Epidemiology/Health Services Adjunct Professor, Medicine akimball@u.washington.edu Dr. Kimball is professor of epidemiology and health services at the University of Washington School of Public Health and adjunct professor in the school of Medicine. She is also co-chair of the emerging infections workgroup at the University and principal investigator of the APEC Emerging Infections Network project. Dr. Kimball headed the HIV/AIDS program for Washington state, the National Alliance of HIV/AIDS Directors, and national program support for the Pan American Health Organization's program on AIDS. She has a longstanding interest in surveillance, prevention and policy of infectious diseases.

Dr. Carrie Horwitch,  MD, MPH Clinical Assistant Professor, Health Services Associate Director, Medical Education, Virginia Mason Medical Center carrieho@u.washington.edu Dr. Horwitch is a clinical assistant professor of Health Services in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. She is also co-investigator for the APEC Emerging Infections Network project and has been co-coordinator and instructor for the Emerging Infectious Diseases of International Public Health Importance course since its inception. Dr. Horwitch is an internal medicine specialist with experience in HIV/AIDS care and tropical medicine training

The overall objective of the course is to develop a realistic appreciation of the importance of emerging infectious disease to the future of international public health practice. The course will introduce students to some of the newest thinking in the field of emerging infections and will give them the tools to examine the importance of new diseases. Emphasis will be placed on the concept of emergence and the mechanisms of emergence of pathogens as outlined in the 1992 Institute of Medicine Report. Specific diseases such as tuberculosis, dengue, influenza and HPV will also be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on their public health implications in the areas of prevention, surveillance, and control. Finally, the potential impacts of emerging disease on personal care services will be discussed.

There are study questions associated with each lecture. Answering these questions will help students think about the course concepts and prepare for the exams. The information needed to answer the questions can be found in both the lectures and the readings. We encourage students to think independently, especially in the areas of prevention and control.
 

This web site and the lectures it contains are the property of the University of Washington and the individual speakers presented here. No reproduction or publication of this material is allowed without the direct consent of the course coordinators and lecture presenters.

© 2002 University of Washington Department of Health Services Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195-7660 e-mail: carrieho@u.washington.edu