Communicable Disease Prevention

and Control (95737)

Week 2 Tutorial - Introduction to basic concepts in the epidemiology and control of
communicable/infectious diseases (Part 1)

Dr Abela Mahimbo
School of Public Health

UTS CRICOS 00099F UTS CRICOS 00099F

Aims for this week
• Get to know one another
• To review assessment requirements
• Using Generative AI in this subject
• To review the preparation activities for Week 2
• To apply the knowledge of the chain of infection on prevention and control of a number of
communicable diseases

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Today’s session - Process
Activities Time (min)
Introductions & housekeeping ~15
Assessment requirements ~10
GenAI - Intro ~10
Debriefing on preparation activities – burden of communicable ~20
diseases; chain of infection
Application of the chain of infection on communicable disease ~20
management: Whooping cough case study_group task

Preparation for next week ~5

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Week 2 outcomes
By the end of this week you should:
• Understand the assessment requirements
• Define communicable diseases and their causative agents
• Explain the burden of communicable diseases globally
• Outline some of the factors attributable to differences in trends and distribution of
communicable diseases globally
• Explain the relevance of the chain of infection in communicable disease management

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Ways of engaging with the content…

Lectures Tutorials
Readings ++
Include discussions, debates, activities and
Weekly. Will be recorded. Presented by the
Open educational resources. questions related to the content and
subject coordinator.& guest lecturers
assessment tasks.

Blended Learning Materials Independent learning Discussion board

Housed in Canvas. Lots of details, If you want to ask any subject-related
Go out and do your own investigations.
activities, questions and videos to watch. questions
Introductions & housekeeping (~15 mins)

• Your name
• Year you are currently enrolled in
• Where would you like to go and why? OR Who’s the funniest person you know?
Introductions & housekeeping (~15 mins)

• Friendly forum for collaborative learning – PLEaSE don’t feel shy to participate!
• Respect one another
• Safe space - Ask questions
Assessment requirements (~10 mins)

Assessment 1 • Two online quizzes (Module 1 – Weeks 2-4)

• Quiz 1 due 21 & 23 August (Weight 15%) (in-class)
(30%) • Quiz 2 due 4 & 6 September (Weight 15%) (in-class)

Assessment 2
• Group presentations (25%), Individual reflective piece (5%)
• 4- 5 groups – work on one case scenario; group allocation (scenario preferences
– Week 3; groups finalised in Week 4)
(30%) • Email the tutor your group work charter – by 10 September 2023
• *Additional information on Assessment brief
• Presentations during tutorial – *Weeks 8 (online) & 9 (in-class)

Assessment 3 • Consultation report based on one of the scenarios

• *Additional information on Assessment brief

(40%) • 1800 words, 15 references maximum

• Due 5 November 2023 11:59 pm
GenAI - Intro

• Refer to the GenAI slide deck

Using Generative AI in 95737

Debriefing: Preparation activity 1 - Week 2 (~15
mins)
• What did you find striking from the information presented in the figure and the article
provided? Did the figures surprise you?
• What do you think are some factors that could explain the differences in the burden of
communicable diseases between low-income, lower-middle-income, upper-middle
income and high-income countries?
• Go to www.menti.com and use code 77 66 52 7
• Why do you think it is important to collect such data?
Debriefing: Preparation activity 1 - Week 2 (~15
mins)
• According to an updated WHO report (2018), 24% of global deaths and 28% of deaths
among children under five are due to modifiable environmental factors.
• Watch this video that illustrates why access to water and sanitation is one of the most
important environmental variables that affects risk of communicable diseases

https://view.genial.ly/611458494408ad102d89907e/interactive-content-untitled-genially

• Source: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565196
Debriefing: Preparation activity 1 - Week 2 (~15
mins)
What has contributed to lower burden of communicable diseases in Australia specifically?
• Improvements in sanitation (Prevention & control strategies – Week 6)
• Introduction of antibiotics and vaccines (Prevention & control strategies – Week 7)
• Appropriate response to outbreaks and monitoring of infections (Surveillance – Week 5)
• Economic growth, improved nutrition, political and civil institutions, better access to
health care, stronger & resilient health systems (Social determinants of health – Week 4)
However:
• HAIs still pose a significant global public health challenge (~180,000 infections each
year) (https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/migrated/1.2-Healthcare-
Associated-Infection.pdf )
• Speed and scale of national and international travel pose an ongoing threat for potential
pandemics (e.g. COVID-19)
Debriefing: Preparation activity 2 - Week 2 (~10
mins)
Hookworm infection is caused by parasites which are common in many developing
countries. The parasites live in the human intestine and lay eggs expelled from the body
with the faeces into the soil. The eggs grow into worms in the soil, penetrating the skin of
people walking barefoot.
• i) Identify each of the following in this example:
• A The infectious agent
• B The reservoir
• C The mode of transmission
• D The route of exit and the route of entry
• ii) How would you break the chain of this infection at each sequence in the chain?
Debriefing: Preparation activity 2 - Week 2 (~10
mins)
Answers
• The infectious agent - Necator americanus or Ancylostoma duodenale
• The reservoir – soil & humans
• The mode of transmission – horizontal – direct transmission (contact)- contact with
contaminated soil (often foot) containing eggs in areas where sanitation is poor
• Route of exit – human faeces
• Route of entry – skin of people walking barefoot
Debriefing: Preparation activity 2 - Week 2 (~10
mins)
• How would you break the chain of this infection at each sequence in the chain?
The infectious agent – Deworming to eliminate infecting worms (Albendazole (400 mg) or Mebendazole
(500 mg)
The reservoir – soil
The mode of transmission – health and hygiene education reduces transmission and reinfection by
encouraging healthy behaviours
Route of exit – Improved hygiene & sanitation (Sanitation is more than just toilets, encompasses facilities,
behaviours, and services that prevent diseases caused by contact with human waste. Hygiene refers to
behaviours that can improve cleanliness and lead to good health)
Route of entry – Improved sanitation; wearing shoes
Case study 2.1, Activity 2.2: Pertussis (whooping
cough) - Implication for public health action
Jack is a 6-month-old infant who has presented to the general practitioner with whooping
cough. His mother is a single parent who works as an office assistant. While his mother is
working, Jack is cared for in a long day care centre.
To help you in your deliberations, look at the NSW Health Fact Sheet on pertussis, which is
located at the NSW Health Website at: Retrieved from:
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/Pertussis.aspx (Links to an
external site.)
a) Agent (what causes the disease?).
b) Host (specific and non-specific defence factors). You may also like to include information
about symptoms, and whether or not there are particular groups within the population who
are at risk).
c) Environment / transmission (environmental factors that may bring the host and agent
together, environmental reservoir (if any), mode of transmission).
d) Public Health Action (what needs to be done to contain this infection?).
Case study 2.1, Activity 2.3: Pertussis (whooping
cough) - Implication for public health action
Public Health Action (what needs to be done to contain this infection?)
• Whooping cough (a notifiable disease) – GP needs to notify the local PHU (Week 5 –
surveillance)
• Isolate Jack, with respiratory precautions, in hospital
• Start antibiotic treatment
• Exclude Jack from day care for 5 days after treatment has started. Unimmunised contacts
may be excluded from child care unless they’ve taken antibiotics
• Check vaccination status of Jack (the index case) and household contacts, arrange for
vaccinations if any are unvaccinated
• At a community level, consider community-wide vaccination if coverage is low
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/whoopingcough/Publications/whooping-cough-
pamphlet.pdf
 Preparation activity for Week 3
• Please read the following article which provides an overview of the basic epidemiological
concepts underlying communicable/infectious disease control and builds on the content
we covered in Week 2.
Barreto, M. L., Teixeira, M. G., & Carmo, E. H. (2006). Infectious diseases epidemiology.
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 60(3):192–5.
• Engage in the ‘COVID-19 Bingo - What's your score?’ activity
• Quiz 1 due next week – 21 & 23 August 2023 – in class; please bring your
devices & be punctual
• Week 3 & 4 lecture content uploaded