BIOL004 - Killer Viruses: What Threat Do They Pose in Contemporary Society?

The goal of this course is two fold: to provide students with an introductory, practical view of biological systems, and to enable students to evaluate the health threat of viruses as natural or terrorist-driven agents in contemporary society. We are all well aware of the recent emergence of multiple viruses as potential treats to the public health: examples include SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS, HIV, West Nile and Ebola viruses. However, still greater threats may arise by expansion of existing virus, such as smallpox and influenza that we more commonly think of as being either eradicated or harmless. Through this course we will examine the general properties of viruses, our capacity to ward-off common virus infections using the immune response, the general concept of vaccination, the emergence of new virus pathogens, and the capacity of these pathogens to spread within our population based on regional and global culture and finance.