This free online epidemiology course explains the microbiology and bacteriology used to manage the spread of infections.

Infectious illnesses are caused by organisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites and they may spread from person to person through close contact. This epidemiology course begins with an overview of the causes of infection spread. We outline the conditions that must exist for an infection to occur and describe those that drive its spread. We define technical terms like ‘systemic infections’ and explain why learning about microbiology can help to prevent their spread.

This course establishes the importance of microbiology and bacteriology in combating disease. We demonstrate how to successfully classify microorganisms and show you how to compare gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. We then investigate fungi and protozoa. We explain important technical distinctions like the difference between viruses and diseases and cover medical topics like the typical clinical manifestations of enterovirus infections.

Knowledge of microbiology and bacteriology and epidemiological skills are used to manage and prevent the spread of infection. This course shows you how an infection spreads and traces each step from its early stages to known outbreaks of viruses and diseases. The information provided by this course represents the kind of awareness that protects people from the spread of infections so sign up to learn how to prevent and manage outbreaks.