Certificate in Infectious Diseases and Infection Control

Influenza (commonly called the "flu") is a highly contagious respiratory disease that affects all ages and can cause significant illness and death. Striking hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide every year, this disease can be prevented using a combination of techniques.

Pneumonia is an infection in one or both of the lungs. Globally, it is the leading killer of children under the age of 5 years. It is also common in the United States. There are several types of pneumonia, depending on the type of microbe (bacteria, viruses, or fungi) that causes it.

Despite advances in their treatment and prevention, tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB, or MDR-TB, remain two of the world's deadliest communicable diseases. An ancient disease found in Egyptian mummies, TB and MDR-TB are increasingly difficult to treat, due, in part, to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of the disease and lack of resources necessary to fight the disease.

Hepatitis A, B, and C are viruses that affect millions of individuals throughout the world. They affect the liver and have a variety of etiologies and mechanisms of transmission. All forms of hepatitis can have significant economic and social consequences since infected individuals can take weeks or months to recover and return to school, work, and their daily lives. Long-term consequences of the viruses vary, but can include serious, chronic health consequences such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Prevention, early diagnosis, and effective treatment are essential in preventing the spread of these diseases.

Since they were first described in 1981, more than a quarter of a century ago, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remain a persistent and widespread threat to the health, well-being, and human potential of individuals in the United States and across the globe. Causing fear, guilt, and accusations, weakening the immune system and potentially leading to numerous infections, cancers, or death, HIV and AIDS remain international health issues. They require that healthcare providers be knowledgeable about the complex clinical aspects of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, as well as address ethical, cultural, and empowerment issues, and implement evolving infection control guidelines.

For many people, animals are an important part of their lives, providing valuable social bonds, emotional support, and joy. Pets and other animals can contribute to a healing environment with their companionship, assistance, sensory stimulation, need for exercise, sense of calmness, and level of acceptance that is often difficult to find from any other source. Yet many diseases can be spread from pets to people. These diseases, called zoonoses, can involve bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections. People can also infect pets, as well. Maintaining a healing environment for all includes the prevention of infections from our pets and other animals.

In the United States, ticks carry many different pathogens that can cause a variety of human diseases. One of the most common of these is Lyme disease. Many tickborne diseases are challenging to diagnose because their symptoms imitate other common illnesses. The prevention of tickborne disease involves avoidance of tick-infested areas, the appropriate use of proper clothing, and insect repellents.

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are an ever-present threat to the health and livelihood of individuals, families, communities, and countries all over the world. The greatest burden of EIDs lies in developing countries and among infants and children who are the most vulnerable to these infections and the long-term consequences of their presence.