Overview
The prevention of disease is recognised internationally as being of fundamental importance to quality of life and is a core skillset for any public health professional. This unit covers the important public health topic of communicable diseases and their control. Students will learn the value of participation by engaging in team activities and tutorial activities. They will learn about prevention by exploring the aetiologies, risk factors, epidemiological trends and underlying issues relating to a wide range of communicable diseases. Students will critique the public health literature and public health campaigns to discover the importance of partnerships in the effective control of communicable diseases. Topics will include the aetiology, transmission, epidemiological trends and control strategies relating to a range of communicable diseases, including enteric, vaccine preventable and sexually transmitted infections. The impact of communicable disease upon individual and population health will be explored, with particular emphasis on the indigenous community and global context. Students will develop skills in disease surveillance and/or the prevention or management of disease outbreaks. Residential school will be compulsory for Environmental Health students but optional for Health Promotion and other students.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
48 credit points
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Personal reflection
Communucable disease management is evolving.
Continue revising learning materials to include emerging issues relating to communicable diseases.
Feedback from Personal reflection
Videoconference was problematic during Residential School.
Consult TASAC prior to running videoconferences during residential school.
- Describe risk factors and aetiology for a range of communicable diseases important to public health.
- Explain the impact of communicable diseases in the context of individual and population health.
- Identify and analyse primary, secondary and tertiary approaches for the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Evaluate the social and cultural impact of notifiable diseases.
- Explain the methods of measurement, monitoring, prioritisation and surveillance of communicable disease and how they are used to safeguard public health.
The learning outcomes of this unit relate to the enHealth Skills and Knowledge Matrix:
Part 1- all generic attributes
Part 2- underpinning skills and knowledge in the areas of
-
Science
- basic human anatomy and physiology related to identifying disease causation and exposure pathways
- microorganisms of significance for human health
- transmission mechanisms and likely carriers
- infective dose levels
-
Public & Environmental Health Concepts
- The points of impact to influence environmental health determinants and related methods of impact
-
Research methods
- Effective design and implementation of studies, policies and programs to protect public and environmental health and minimise risks
Part 3- Applied Skills and Knowledge
- Prevention and control of notifiable and communicable conditions.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Online Test - 15% | |||||
| 2 - Online Test - 15% | |||||
| 3 - Online Test - 15% | |||||
| 4 - Written Assessment - 55% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Online Test - 15% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Online Test - 15% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Online Test - 15% | ||||||||||
| 4 - Written Assessment - 55% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Control of Communicable Diseases Manual
Edition: 20 (2015)
Authors: David L Heymann
APHA Press
Washington Washington , DC , USA
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom Capacity (microphone required; webcam optional)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
l.bricknell@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to communicable disease and the principles of disease causation
Chapter
Cragg (2018). A brief history of the development of communicable disease control. edited by Cragg, Nutland, and Rudge. Applied Communicable Disease Control. (Link in eReading)
Hill. (2015). The environment and disease: association or causation? (Reprinted from JRSM, vol 58, 1965). Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 108(1), 32–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076814562718
Reading 1-2 Gerstman, B. B (2003) "Causal Concepts", in Gerstmann, B. Burt Epidemiology Kept Simple: An Introduction to Traditional and Modern Epidemiology, Second Edition, pp 33-48, John Wiley & Sons Inc. (Link in Readings)
Reading 1-1 Pennington, H. (2014). Five diseases that are worse than Ebola. Prospect, October 2014. (Link in eReadings)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Communicable Diseases and Social Determinants of Health, Emergencies, and Disasters
Chapter
Bambra. (2022). Pandemic inequalities: emerging infectious diseases and health equity. International Journal for Equity in Health, 21(1), 6–6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-021-01611-2
Butler-Jones, & Wong, T. (2016). Infectious disease, social determinants and the need for intersectoral action. Canada Communicable Disease Report, 42(S1), S1–S1–20. https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v42is1a04
Connolly, Gayer, M., Ryan, M. J., Salama, P., Spiegel, P., & Heymann, D. L. (2004). Communicable diseases in complex emergencies: impact and challenges. The Lancet (British Edition), 364(9449), 1974–1983. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17481-3
Braveman, & Gottlieb, L. (2014). The Social Determinants of Health: It’s Time to Consider the Causes of the Causes. Public Health Reports (1974), 129(Suppl 2), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549141291S206
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Enteric diseases
Chapter
Read Section 3 Diseases from the Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection Handbook by Hawker et al.2019) for the following diseases. You can access this book online using the eReading list tab.
Alternatively, you can read about these diseases from the Control of Communicable Disease Manual by Heymann (2015), if you have a copy of the book.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Parasitic Diseases
Chapter
Read Section 3 Diseases from the Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection Handbook by Hawker et al. (2019) for the following diseases. You can access this book online using the eReading list tab.
Alternatively, you can read about these diseases from the Control of Communicable Disease Manual by Heymann (2015), if you have a copy of the book.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Vaccine Preventable Diseases
Chapter
Read Section 3 Diseases from the Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection Handbook by Hawker et al. (2019) for the following diseases. You can access this book online using the eReading list tab
Alternatively, you can read about these diseases from the Control of Communicable Disease Manual by Heyman (2015), if you have a copy of the book.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Chapter
Noah, N (2006) Chapter 18 (link in eReading list)
Read Section 3 Diseases from the Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection Handbook by Hawker et al (2019).
Unemo, M., Bradshaw, C. S., Hocking, J. S., de Vries, H. J., Francis, S. C., Mabey, D., ... & Fairley, C. K. (2017). Sexually transmitted infections: challenges ahead. The Lancet infectious diseases, 17(8), e235-e279.
A Review of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Australia–Considerations in 2018. Academic forensic pathology, 8(4), 938-946.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
HIV
Chapter
Read the entries in your textbook Cragg et al (2018) for HIV Infection and AIDS.
Mitchell, L et al (eds) Chapter 37 HIV Intro and Epidemiology Oxford Handbook of Genitourinary Medicine, HIV, and Sexual Health, Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp449-456 (e-book link in Readings)
Holt, M. (2017). Progress and challenges in ending HIV and AIDS in Australia. AIDS and Behavior, 21(2), 331-334.
Stewart, J., & Baeten, J. M. (2020). Preventing Disease, Not Sex—Harm Reduction, HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. JAMA Network Open, 3(12), e2031102-e2031102.
Okoli, C., Van de Velde, N., Richman, B., Allan, B., Castellanos, E., Young, B., ... & de Los Rios, P. (2021). Undetectable equals untransmittable (U= U): awareness and associations with health outcomes among people living with HIV in 25 countries. Sexually transmitted infections, 97(1), 18-26.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to disease surveillance and observational Studies
Chapter
Cragg, Nutland & Rudge (2018) Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Communicable Disease Control and Surveillance - residential school
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Residential School for Environmental Health majors (optional for all other students), Rockhampton Campus 8:30 am-4:30 pm 8-10 May 2024.
Students who are not attending residential school should use this week to start working on their assessment 4 and revise materials for week 8 on surveillance and observational studies.
Module/Topic
Public Health Interventions - historical and contemporary approaches
Chapter
Tognotti, E., 2013, Lessons from the History of Quarantine, from Plague to Influenza A., Emerging Infectious Diseases, 19(2) pp 254-259
Markel, H., 2014, Worldly approaches to global health: 1851 to the present, Public Health, 128(2), pp 124-128
Piret, J., & Boivin, G. 2021. Pandemics Throughout History, Frontiers in microbiology, 11(631736) https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.631736
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Public Health Interventions - emerging approaches
Chapter
Brown, G., O'Donnell, D., Crooks, L., & Lake, R. 2014, Mobilisation, politics, investment and constant adaptation: lessons from the Australian health-promotion response to HIV. Health Promotion Journal Of Australia, 25(1)
McCaffery KJ, Dodd RH, Cvejic E, Ayre J, Batcup C, Isautier JMJ, Copp T, Bonner C, Pickles K, Nickel B, Dakin T, Cornell S, Wolf MS.2020. Health literacy and disparities in COVID-19–related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours in Australia. Public Health Research & Practice.
Loewenson, R., Colvin, C. J., Szabzon, F., Das, S., Khanna, R., Coelho, V. S. P., Gansane, Z., Yao, S., Asibu, W. D., Rome, N. & Nolan, E. 2021. Beyond command and control: A rapid review of meaningful community-engaged responses to COVID-19. Global Public Health, 1-15.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Emerging Key Issues in Communicable Diseases
Chapter
Sabin, N.S., Calliope, A.S., Simpson, S.V. et al. Implications of human activities for (re)emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19. J Physiol Anthropol 39, 29 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-020-00239-5
Jones KE, Patel NG, Levy MA, Storeygard A, Balk D, Gittleman JL, Daszak P. Global trends in emerging infectious diseases. Nature. 2008 Feb 21;451(7181):990-3. doi: 10.1038/nature06536.
Joseph A Lewnard, Arthur L Reingold, Emerging Challenges and Opportunities in Infectious Disease Epidemiology, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 188, Issue 5, May 2019, Pages 873–882, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwy264
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Test
- Assessment 1 is an individual quiz consisting of multiple-choice questions. The questions will be selected randomly from a question bank to ensure academic integrity. Additionally, the choices for each question will be shuffled to prevent cheating.
- The quiz will include 15 multiple-choice questions covering the topics learned in weeks 1 to 4. You must choose the correct answer. You will have 60 minutes to complete them.
- The quiz cannot be paused, and you will only have one attempt to complete it. Therefore, having a reliable internet connection when taking the quiz is important.
- You may use your notes, lecture materials and cheat sheet to assist you. The quiz is available from 09:00 am AEST on Monday of week 4 until 09:00 am AEST on Friday of week 4.
- Your results and feedback on which questions you answered correctly or incorrectly will released when the quiz closes. This feedback will help you identify which areas you need to revise.
Week 5 Friday (5 Apr 2024) 9:00 am AEST
Results will be available once the quiz has closed.
This quiz will assess the student's knowledge of the principles of disease causation, disease transmission and the aetiology, prevention and control of enteric and parasitic diseases.
- Describe risk factors and aetiology for a range of communicable diseases important to public health.
- Explain the impact of communicable diseases in the context of individual and population health.
- Identify and analyse primary, secondary and tertiary approaches for the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
2 Online Test
- Assessment 1 is an individual quiz consisting of multiple-choice questions. The questions will be selected randomly from a question bank to ensure academic integrity. Additionally, the choices for each question will be shuffled to prevent cheating.
- The quiz will include 15 multiple-choice questions covering the topics learned in weeks 5 to 6. You must choose the correct answer. You will have 60 minutes to complete them.
- The quiz cannot be paused, and you will only have one attempt to complete it. Therefore, having a reliable internet connection when taking the quiz is important.
- You may use your notes, lecture materials and cheat sheet to assist you. The quiz is available from 09:00 am AEST on Monday of week 7 until 09:00 am AEST on Monday of week 8.
- Your results and feedback on which questions you answered correctly or incorrectly will released when the quiz closes. This feedback will help you identify which areas you need to revise.
Week 8 Monday (29 Apr 2024) 9:00 pm AEST
Results will be available once the quiz has closed.
This quiz will assess the student's knowledge of the principles of vaccination, the immune response and the aetiology of vaccine preventable diseases.
- Describe risk factors and aetiology for a range of communicable diseases important to public health.
- Explain the impact of communicable diseases in the context of individual and population health.
- Identify and analyse primary, secondary and tertiary approaches for the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Explain the methods of measurement, monitoring, prioritisation and surveillance of communicable disease and how they are used to safeguard public health.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
3 Online Test
- Assessment 3 takes the form of short essay-style questions to assess your knowledge of the aetiology, prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
- There will be 5 short essay questions, each worth 3 marks. Answers should be brief (150-200 words), and marks will be deducted for exceeding the word limit.
- The questions will be available from 9:00 am on Monday of Week 10 until 9:00 am on Monday of Week 11.
- You will have 45 minutes to complete your responses. You cannot save your responses or pause the assessment to return to them later.
- You will receive your final result for the question in 1 week after it has been marked.
Week 11 Monday (20 May 2024) 9:00 am AEST
Week 12 Friday (31 May 2024)
Results will be released online.
This short essay format assessments will assess the student's knowledge of the aetiology, prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
- Describe risk factors and aetiology for a range of communicable diseases important to public health.
- Explain the impact of communicable diseases in the context of individual and population health.
- Identify and analyse primary, secondary and tertiary approaches for the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Evaluate the social and cultural impact of notifiable diseases.
- Explain the methods of measurement, monitoring, prioritisation and surveillance of communicable disease and how they are used to safeguard public health.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
4 Written Assessment
There are two options for this assessment task. Option 1 is for Environmental Health students and students from other disciplines who have attended residential school for this unit. Option 2 is for Health Promotion students and students from other disciplines who have not attended residential school.
Option 1: Environmental Health majors and other students who have attended residential school
While at residential school, you will be involved in the investigation of a simulated outbreak of a communicable disease.
For this assignment, you will write a report including:
- a description of the disease, its aetiology and the mechanism of the outbreak
- factors leading to the outbreak
- the actions taken to control the spread of the disease
- a critical evaluation of these actions
- future public health interventions that could prevent the outbreak from reoccurring.
Although you will work as a team while investigating the outbreak, you will need to submit an individual report. Students will be evaluated on their critical evaluation of the outbreak, drawing on the core themes and topics presented throughout the unit. If you use any information provided by your team members, you should reference these appropriately in your report. Report writing will be addressed at residential school and an exemplar will be provided on Moodle.
Word count: 2500- 3000 words
Option 2: Health Promotion majors
For this assignment, you will need to write a report that argues for HIV/AIDS or STIs to be given priority as part of a State Health Strategy.
You will use the Kirby report, which is available here. The links to specific state policy/strategy documents will be on Moodle. You must refer to one of these strategies for your home state.
The report will include the following:
1. a background to the disease, including
- the nature of the problem (description of the disease and a brief aetiology);
- the extent of the problem (trends in diagnosis, prevalence and morbidity); and
- the risk factors and protective factors.
2. a description of the population of concern, including
- a definition of the population group at risk;
- an explanation of the extent of the problem in the population group (eg. trends in diagnosis, prevalence and morbidity); and
- an investigation of the factors contributing to trends in the population group.
3. a rationale for inclusion in State policy, including
- the impact of the disease (eg. cost to individuals and community); and
- the potential for prevention and early intervention in reducing this burden.
Week 12 Friday (31 May 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Submit online through the unit Moodle page
After confirmation of grades
Option 1: Environmental Health majors and other students who have attended residential school
Relevance (30%)
- summarises relevant disease information from credible and reputable sources
- report is relevant to the disease under investigation
- interventions are appropriate
- interventions are thoroughly explained
- effectiveness of the intervention is evaluated
- public health interventions to prevent future outbreaks are presented
Validity (50%)
- depth and extent of discussion of the investigation
- evaluation is thorough and logically presented
- accuracy of the information used to support statements
- recommendations for future public health interventions have been based on critical thought, analysis of the
- evidence and synthesis of new ideas
- depth and range of research
Organisation (10%)
- structure and flow of information
- coherence and clarity of expression (spelling, grammar, syntax)
- all sources attributed
Presentation (10%)
- style and formatting of report
- typographical matters (types, font, headings etc)
- referencing is consistent and in accordance with Harvard style
- length
Option 2: Health Promotion majors and other students not attending residential school
Relevance (30%)
- summarises relevant disease information from credible and reputable sources
- population group is appropriate and justified
- impact of disease is thoroughly explained
- potential for prevention and early intervention in reducing burden has been thoroughly explored
Validity (50%)
- depth and extent of discussion of the disease, priority population and rationale for inclusion
- argument for rationale is thorough and logically presented
- accuracy of the information used to support statements
- depth and range of research
Organisation (10%)
- structure and flow of information
- coherence and clarity of expression (spelling, grammar, syntax)
- all sources attributed
Presentation (10%)
- style and formatting of report
- typographical matters (types, font, headings etc)
- referencing is consistent and in accordance with Harvard style
- length
- Explain the impact of communicable diseases in the context of individual and population health.
- Identify and analyse primary, secondary and tertiary approaches for the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Evaluate the social and cultural impact of notifiable diseases.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
