Understanding Epidemics

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Understanding Epidemics Site introduction

• Background to the site
• Specification links
• Site content
• Site navigation

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Background to the Project
Developed by researchers in the Department of
Geography, The University of Liverpool Dr.
Bethan Evans, Prof. Bill Gould, Dr. Andy Morse,
Prof. Bob Woods.
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Specification links
The content on the Understanding Epidemics web
site links to the following AS/A2 specifications.
Click on the relevant one to see more details.
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AQA Geog A
Although more applicable to the Geography B
specification, epidemics, namely HIV/AIDS are
important in the geography A syllabus. Module 5
Challenge and Change in the Urban Environment,
section 14.1 Population Pressure and Resource
Management. Many of the issues discussed in the
Basics section of the web site would aid the
understanding of demography required for this
module. Module 5, section 14.1 The Resource
Response Food Shortages in the LEDW. In the
HIV/AIDS section, discussion of the relationship
between poverty and the impact of HIV/AIDS on
different communities and people in Africa
(particularly the impact on food security issues)
contributes to this module. Tourism
Development content in Module 5, section 14.3
Recreation and Tourism The HIV/AIDS section also
contributes to this module as it requires
consideration of the social costs of tourism in
the LEDW including exploitation of sex industry,
health risks including AIDS.
Back to specification index
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AQA Geog B
Module 4 Global Change, section 13.2 People and
the Environment Hazards. The requirement to
consider the global distribution, international
and national effects of a transmittable disease
could be fulfilled by any of the diseases
considered on the Understanding Epidemics
website. The website splits discussion of the
diseases in line with the specifications focus
on origins, impacts, control and prediction
(modelling). Case studies are provided which
allow discussion of differences between rural and
urban areas, and between MEDCs and LEDCs. The
HIV/AIDS pages focus mainly on social and
cultural differences and the malaria pages on the
interaction between physical geography (climate)
and disease. Module 4 Global Change, section
13.1 Physical Geography Seasonal change The
climatic information on the Malaria pages
(specifically the geography section) provide
resources of use in this module as the
specification requires consideration of seasonal
changes within the tropical regions of Africa
with wet and dry seasons and the influence on
hydrology and ecology.
Back to specification index
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EDEXCEL Geog B
The main links are with Unit 5

• Unit 5 Researching Global Futures
• Option 5.6 Feeding the worlds people Examples
  could be used from the HIV/AIDS impacts pages,
  which discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS on food
  security in Africa.
• Option 5.7 Health and WelfareThe web site can
  contribute to all areas of this option which
  requires consideration of geographical patterns
  of health and disease health and standards of
  living the impact of disease on societies
  health, welfare and societies. Each of the
  disease pages are structured around these issues
  giving up to date case studies along with general
  explanations.

There are also links with other sections of the
syllabus

• Unit 2 Managing Change in Rural Environments
• Section 2.3 Process and change in rural
  environments calls for an understanding of
  poverty in areas of outmigration and disease in
  LEDCs e.g. AIDS in Uganda including examples to
  reflect MEDC and LEDC differences. The web site
  provides specific examples from MEDCs and LEDCs
  and contains discussion of the role of
  rural-urban circular migration in the spread of
  HIV/AIDS in Africa.
• Section 2.4 Rural planning issues causes and
  consequences of the cycle of rural deprivation.
  Discussion with examples given on web site of the
  impact of HIV/AIDS on rural poverty, food
  security and links to wider developmental issues.

EDEXCEL Geog B Continued on next page
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EDEXCEL Geog B (cont)

• Unit 4Global Challenge
• Section 4.0-4.3 Atmospheric processes The
  Malaria pages on the website (specifically the
  geography pages) contain resources on temperature
  and rainfall variations in Africa which may be
  useful in teaching this module, with specific
  mention of the possible impacts of global warming
  on the global distribution of malaria.
• Section 4.8 The implications of population
  change The HIV/AIDS pages (specifically the
  Impacts pages) provide discussion (with examples)
  of the impact of the loss of people of working
  age due to HIV/AIDS and the impact of national
  migration on the spread of HIV/AIDS.
  Specification key concepts include coping with
  population growth (providing housing, work and
  services) with specific reference to AIDS in
  East Africa as an example.
• Section 4.9 The global challenge of migration
  specification calls for an understanding of the
  positive and negative impacts of international
  migration. Web site contains a discussion of the
  possible impact on HIV/AIDS prevalence in the UK
  of people who have been infected in other
  countries.

Back to specification index
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AQA (Biology A- Human Biology)

• Module 3 Pathogens and Disease
• 12.1 Bacteria viruses
• The structure of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  and its replication.
• See HIV/AIDS biology pages.
• 12.2 Parasites and Parasitism
• The principal adaptations of parasites to their
  way of life as illustrated by Plasmodium
  (malaria)
• their ability to survive in the hostile
  environment within the host
• reduction of locomotory and other structures
• modification of reproduction and the life cycle
  associated with infecting a new host
• See malaria biology pages. Particularly detailed
  section on the parasite lifecycle.

Back to specification index
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AQA (Biology B)

• Module 7 Microbes and Disease
• 15.10 Bacterial disease
• Transmission of food-borne and water-borne
  infection.
• Examples given on Basics and Historical Epidemics
  pages with reference to Cholera.
• 15.11 Viral Disease
• The structural features of a virus, exemplified
  by HIV
• The course of infection, signs, symptoms and
  transmission of AIDS
• The process of replication of HIV
• How HIV causes AIDS
• Strategies for preventing the spread of HIV.
• These issues are discussed on the HIV/AIDS
  biology and control pages.
• Module 8 Behaviour and Populations, 15.7 Human
  Populations and Health
• Population size and structure
• Interpret population growth curves, survival
  curves and age pyramids

AQA Biology B Continued on next page
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AQA (Biology B cont.)

• Module 8 Behaviour and Populations, 15.7 Human
  Populations and Health (cont.)
• Social conditions
• The influence of food supply, safe drinking
  water and effective sewage disposal on
  mortality.
• Examples given in Basics section and Historical
  epidemics section relating to Cholera, and
  examples are given in the HIV/AIDS section of the
  influence of social conditions on secondary
  infections in those with HIV/AIDS.
• Infectious disease
• Key concepts are the transmission of pathogens,
  natural immunity and acquired immunity
• The interpretation of information relating to
  the incidence and mortality of diseases, and
  evaluation of the effectiveness of immunisation
  programmes and changes in social conditions in
  preventing epidemics.
• The basics pages introduce these issues, then all
  disease pages deal with immunity and public
  health programmes including behavioural and
  immunisation campaigns (specifically biology and
  control sections).

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OCR Biology

• 5.2 Module 2802 Human Health and Disease
• 5.2.1 Introduction to Health and Disease
• Describe and explain the differences between
  standards of health in developed and developing
  countries.
• This is discussed throughout the website.
  Specific emphasis is given to this on the
  HIV/AIDS pages.
• Explain the terms pandemic, epidemic and
  endemic.
• These terms are explained in the Basics pages,
  and in the glossary.
• 5.2.5 Infectious diseases
• Describe the causes and means of transmission of
  Cholera, malaria, AIDS/HIV and TB.
• Assess the worldwide importance of these
  diseases.
• Describe the roles of social, economic and
  biological factors in the prevention and control
  of these diseases.
• HIV/AIDS and Malaria have dedicated sections of
  the site which deal with biology (incl.
  transmission), global importance and
  distribution, and socio-economic and biological
  controls. Cholera is dealt with on the
  historical epidemics pages, and TB is discussed
  within the HIV/AIDS section.

Back to specification index
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Welsh Examining Board Biology

• 4.6 Pathogens, spread of human disease and
  control of infection
• (a) Causes
• Meaning of the following terms infectious
  disease, carrier, animal reservoir, endemic,
  epidemic, vaccine, antibiotic, resistance,
  vector, toxin, antigenic(sero)types.
• Some of these terms are defined in the Basics
  section, all are defined in the glossary.
• Cholera
• Source of infection, mode of transmission,
  prevention and control methods.
• Cholera is a case study disease discussed in the
  Historical Epidemics section of the website.
• Malaria
• main stages of the lifecycle of Plasmodium.
• Illustrate suitable points at which the cycle
  can be broken by preventing transmission,
  controlling lifecycle of vector.
• Advantages and disadvantages of control methods
  of Malaria.
• Plasmodium is susceptible to some drug treatment
  when outside cells in the blood stream
• Detailed information on the lifecycle of
  Plasmodium and the relationship to the vector
  given on the biology pages of the Malaria
  section. Also information on control and
  prevention of transmission on the control pages
  of the Malaria section.

Back to specification index
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Site Content
Main pages The main pages of the website have
been created to give a basic understanding of
epidemics and to give some examples of specific
epidemic diseases. Wherever possible, up-to-date
data are used to give examples and provide case
studies using images, graphs and maps where
appropriate. Sources and links are provided
throughout and at the end of each section to
allow further research in more depth if
necessary. A printer friendly (black and white)
version of each section is provided by clicking
on the yellow box in the top left of each
page). Support pages A glossary, and an index of
diseases are provided to support the main content
of the site. A site map is also provided to
allow easy navigation. There is also this
teachers pack and a users pack provided. Test
material While the text can be read and used on
its own, it is designed to be read in parallel
with the exercises that are associated with each
section of the web site. These exercises are
designed to test understanding of the factual
information and concepts presented in the text.
These are both incorporated in the pages and
there are also specific test yourself
pages.   Epiblog The epiblog can be accessed from
the home page. It is created to provide
up-to-date case studies and examples by linking
to media reports on current issues surrounding
epidemiology.
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Site Navigation
There are three main levels to the site Top
level At the top level, the site is split into 7
sections. These are navigable via the red and
blue buttons which appear at the top of each main
page
Second level Below this, each of these sections
is split into further individual sections. These
too can be navigated via a row of red and blue
buttons which appear at the top of each page in
that section. The two main disease sections
(HIV/AIDS and Malaria) have a similar structure
introduction, emergence, biology, geography,
impacts, control and sources. The basics section
and other sections have slightly different
structures depending on content but these key
themes remain central to the discussion.
Bottom level Many of the pages contain links to
case study pages or pages showing images in
greater detail. These pages open in new windows
(it may be necessary to maximise this window).
To return to the main subject page, the window
can be closed by clicking on the close window
link at the top and bottom of each page.
Site Navigation Continued on next page
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Site Navigation (cont.)
Home page To return to the home page, click on
the understanding epidemics logo which is on the
top left of each page
The home page then contains links to the
supporting pages the test pages, the epiblog,
glossary, index of diseases, site map, site
information (including contact information) and
users packs.
Site map This provides an index of all pages
allowing easy navigation.
Back to main menu