BIOL 4122 Tropical Medicine

 This course introduces students to the most important bacterial, viral, parasitic, and mycotic pathogens in the tropics and to clinical features of the associated diseases.  The course will focus on diseases not ordinarily covered in depth in a microbiology course, such as cholera, tuberculosis, leprosy, arboviral infections, and hemorrhagic fevers, among others.  Topics covered will include geographic distribution, etiology, transmission, pathogenesis, clinical features of relevant diseases, immunologic considerations, diagnosis, histological identification of medically important parasites, treatment, control and the social determinants of health.  The class will also look into the Costa Rican health system and the social determinants of health as time allows.  Also, human behavior associated with the transmission of infection and of local perceptions of the disease will be included.