| Unit name | Wildlife Diseases and One Health |
|---|---|
| Unit code | VETSM0058 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | . Eisler |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Bristol Veterinary School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
This unit will provide an introduction to basic concepts in wildlife diseases, their impacts and possible control. Focusing primarily on infectious diseases of wildlife, students will study transmission and epidemiology of their aetiological agents and learn about pathological and immunological responses in their hosts. Students will have opportunity to learn in depth about diseases such as tuberculosis in Cape buffalo and white tailed deer, brucellosis in bison and elk, foot and mouth disease in gazelle, European bat lyssavirus, avian influenza in wildfowl, chronic wasting disease in deer, morbilliviruses in lions, cetaceans and seals, coronavirus in cheetahs, chytridiomycosis in amphibians and Pseudogymnoascus destructans in bats. They will learn about the impact of diseases on wildlife individuals and populations, the importance of One Health (the nexus of wildlife, domestic, animal, human and environmental health) in the context of wildlife at the human and domestic animal interface, and the role of wildlife in relation to emergence of important diseases of livestock and zoonoses such as Ebola and COVID-19 impacting on sustainable development and global health. Similarly they will have opportunity to study the effects of human activities including agriculture and other forms of habitat destruction, globalisation, international travel and climate change on the health of wildlife populations and the roles of international organisations, legislation and processes in regulating and influencing the transmission of infectious diseases of among wild animals, domestic animals and humans. Students will also develop skills enabling them to communicate key topics relating to wildlife disease and One Health to fellow professionals, policy makers and the public.
On completion of the unit, students will be able to: -
Knowledge and understanding will be developed by following a structured syllabus, evaluating directed reading, and by engaging in problem-solving exercises. The unit will be taught through online material, including practical work, tutorials, student assignments and interactive discussions. Online lectures and tutorials will be delivered by researchers who are experts in the relevant fields. During this unit students will work in groups to design a presentation on an allocated wildlife health-related topic to be delivered to, and discussed with, their peers.
The student's performance on this unit will be assessed through two in‑course assignments (each worth 50% of the overall mark):
(i) A policy brief covering an important wildlife disease topic, and
(ii) A public information poster on the same or a similar topic.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. VETSM0058).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
