Causes of Human Disease: Transmitting and Fighting Infection

An important class for everyone interested in learning about how our body fight infection. What are the use of vaccination and how it can protect us from getting an infectious disease. It is really nice to learn from the researcher in the field about various aspects of infection and body’s machineries to fight with the infection. How our immune system works to protect us from pathogens, that is incredible. I loved this class and will continue to build on what I have learned here. I highly recommend this class to anyone interested in career, curiosity, or if you are fighting an infectious disease. Learn to empower yourself and understand how to research about various topics covered in this class, on transmitting and fighting infection!

Stay infected with the love of learning and never stop learning! :)

Causes of Disease has been a very good series produced by the University of Leeds. Transmitting and Fighting Infection is a very relevant topic as it applies to the current pandemic and to other diseases around the world.

The varied course content was relevant to everyday life e.g. sources of disease transmission, differences between causative organisms, the use and misuse of antibiotics as well as antibiotic resistance and a very useful glossary. The immune system as a set of complex mechanisms concerning how the body fights disease was covered in some detail in the second week – again, this was wholly relevant to us all in everyday life, wherever in the world we live.

There were different methods used to teach the various topics including articles, videos, discussions and short tests to ensure understanding of the material provided. A certain amount of small-scale on-line research was undertaken to provide students with an idea of how to gather information from appropriate scientific sources and then to use that information to produce a more detailed and properly referenced scientific report. In a world of misinformation and disinformation spread by social media, this is a very important element.

For students who need it, a test is available to show that the course has been covered in sufficient detail. It is hoped that the information provided in the course will inspire and encourage many students to do a biomedical sciences course at Leeds or elsewhere. The careers this can lead to are fascinating and fulfilling (as I know from my own experience) and the University of Leeds in conjunction with FutureLearn has provided an excellent start. Thanks to all involved.

This course gives a basic insight into the type of pathogens that cause infectious diseases, and the body's mechanisms that fight infection. Viruses, bacteria, protozoa and worms have been mentioned with examples. The immune system of the body, broadly classified into innate and acquired, fights against these infections using different mechanisms that have been described in simple terms. The use of vaccines for boosting immunity against specific diseases, like the polio vaccine, generates interest.

This course is a good introduction to the agents causing infections, as well as immunology. The language used is simple and generates interest. The only problem that I felt was that once you want to know more, they change the topic! I wish FutureLearn will create a more advanced course on pathogens and mechanisms of infections, as well as on immunology, including complement, types of lymphocytes, T and B cell activation, etc. I had to read other books, but of course, they don't explain everything as clearly as a proper course on FutureLearn!

Thank you for providing such a nice learning opportunity. Being a teacher, I am well aware of the effort of the instructors in providing knowledge in such simple terms. I congratulate them for a job well done, and thank them sincerely!

I was led to understand the course was about the differences between bacteria, virus and parasite. I think more attention should have been given to these. I particularly wanted to know why some cancers form from bacteria and some from virus. Instead the course went off piste wanting us to research something huge in 15 minutes each week. I have not completed the course because when I was growing up there was no vaccine for polio, which is like being in a room full of people without protection in this pandemic now. I was very frightened of it and still am.

I am not interested in researching something that is too big and too difficult.

Much of my learning was done through the other students. For instance, that bacteria enter a cell to infect it and viruses do not exist until it enters a cell from which it gathers potency. The course did not emphasise this and it was what I learnt most.