Overview

This online elective course for graduate and DVM students focuses on disease emergency response that is complementary to other veterinary curriculum coursework. This course studies example foreign animal diseases (FADs) so you will understand disease transmission and epidemiology, how biosecurity can help prevent introduction and spread of diseases and uses the Incident Command structure in emergency response scenarios. Students contribute evaluative thinking for improvements in FADPReP (FAD Preparedness, Response, and Prevention).

Learning Objectives

The overarching objectives of this course are to:

Apply principles of infectious disease prevention and control to three foreign animal diseases of livestock: Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), African Swine Fever (ASF), and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
Understand the social, economic, public health, and animal welfare implications of foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreaks
Introduce students to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS) that form the basis of emergency response in the United States
Introduce students to FAD preparedness and response (so-called FADPReP) and encourage students to engage in FADPReP work in their careers

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to understand the structure and organization of NIMS, ICS, and US Foreign Animal Disease Response and to have met the course learning objectives listed below:

Describe the potential economic, social, public health, and animal health and welfare consequences of an FAD outbreak in the US,
Describe the epidemiology of FMD, ASF, and HPAI as well as the biosecurity and disease control measures employed to prevent the introduction and spread of FADs to the US,
Explain the roles and responsibilities of participants in an ICS structured response to an FAD outbreak,
Discuss the inter-relatedness of livestock, public health, environment, and wildlife health during an FAD outbreak affecting one or more of those populations

Course Topics

Introductions and Basics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Disease Transmission and Biosecurity
African Swine Flu and HPAI Primer
FEMA Certification Course and Emergency Preparedness
FEMA Certification Course and The Incident Command System
A Deeper Look at Disease Transmission and Biosecurity
Lessons Learned from Covid-19 that Apply to FADPReP
What Will the Next FAD Response Look Like in IL/US?

Recommended Prerequisites

Graduate and professional (i. e. DVM, MD) students, and post-docs; course prerequisite is a previous course in microbiology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, or equivalent analytical coursework, or permission of instructor for upper-level undergraduates.