One Health India: People, animals, and the environment in South Asia
Summer 2016 -- Syllabus
VM 613 / PATH 494
Prof. Marilyn O’Hara Ruiz
Department of Pathobiology
moruiz@illinois.edu
Office phone: 217-265-5115
Class meeting schedule
Pre-departure: readings and other activities - about 8 hours. These will include
online materials and local meetings, time TBA depending on the composition of the
class.
June 16 – July 1, 2016, travel to/from and stay in India
Overview and Course Objectives
In this new international course, students will learn about health issues related to animals,
people and the environment, while gaining insight into the challenges of international
public health. The nation of India is home to about 17% of world’s 7.2 billion people.
This course focuses on the epidemiology and factors that affect transmission of two
important infectious diseases in India: rabies and dengue. Human rabies has been
eradicated in the U.S., but India currently has the highest incidence in the world, and dog
bites are responsible most of this transmission. The second disease system includes
illnesses caused by the mosquito-borne dengue virus, a growing problem in India’s cities.
During the course, students will have guided first-hand experiences with both the
challenges and the solutions being enacted to address these complex problems, while
expanding their cultural awareness and understanding.
The primary international site is Hyderabad in South India. The primary location in
Hyderabad is the Indian Institute of Technology – Hyderabad. Other participating
institutions in India are University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, the
College of Veterinary Science Rajendranager, Hyderabad, and the Indian Institute of
Public Health, Hyderabad. The class will also go to Mysore and the Kodagu region to
visit the Nagarhole National Park and the surrounding area in the Nilgiri Biosphere
Reserve.
Objectives
 Read and discuss background materials from both academic literature and
government reports to develop an understanding of the history and rationale
behind the importance of and challenges associated with the two focal disease
systems.
 Meet professors, practitioners and policy-makers whose work addresses public
and veterinary health problems in India
 Interact with students from Indian institutions and become familiar with the
educational system in India.
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Make site visits, related to dengue and mosquito control, animal welfare,
conservation, and public health infrastructure.
Learn to develop systems-based models using the software tool Vensim working
in Indian and American student teams to use your observations and propose
solutions in an interdisciplinary framework
Background Readings
1) Combatting zoonoses in India
http://zoonoses.phfi.org/
2) Rabies
Chapter 4: Rabies: Animal Reservoirs of an Ancient Disease. From The Role of
Animals in Emerging Viral Diseases.
Sudarshan, M. K., S. N. Madhusudana, B. J. Mahendra, N. S. Rao, D. H. Ashwath
Narayana, S. Abdul Rahman, F. Meslin, D. Lobo, K. Ravikumar, and Gangaboraiah.
2007. Assessing the burden of human rabies in India: results of a national multi-center
epidemiological survey. International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official
publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases 11: 29-35.
3) Dengue
Bhatt, S., P. W. Gething, O. J. Brady, J. P. Messina, A. W. Farlow, C. L. Moyes, J. M.
Drake, J. S. Brownstein, A. G. Hoen, O. Sankoh, M. F. Myers, D. B. George, T. Jaenisch,
G. R. Wint, C. P. Simmons, T. W. Scott, J. J. Farrar, and S. I. Hay. 2013. The global
distribution and burden of dengue. Nature 496: 504-507.
Shepard, D. S., Y. A. Halasa, B. K. Tyagi, S. V. Adhish, D. Nandan, K. S. Karthiga, V.
Chellaswamy, M. Gaba, N. K. Arora, and I. S. Group. 2014. Economic and disease
burden of dengue illness in India. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
91: 1235-1242.
4) Interdisciplinary Systems Models
Chapter 1 – Introduction from Modeling the Environment, Andrew Ford
http://public.wsu.edu/~forda/AA2nd.html
Introduction to Vensim software and approaches
http://www.vensim.com/documentation/index.html
Assignments and Grading (S/U)
Student assessment will be based on:
1. Full participation in activities
2. Work with team to develop conceptual model and presentation based on ONE of the
two focal areas.
3. Short paper 3-5 pages related to a specific health challenge in India.
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Schedule
In U.S.
Monday, June 13 & Tuesday, June 14 (or as arranged)
Background on rabies, animal control in the U.S. and India. Cultural preparation session
Background on dengue and mosquito-borne pathogens. Cultural preparation session
Discussion of background readings
In transit
Wednesday, June 15 – Friday June 17
Hyderabad, India
Friday, June 17
Orientation at Indian Institute of Technology – Hyderabad (IIT-H)
Saturday, June 18th
Blue Cross Animal Welfare, Hyderabad, lunch out
Sunday June 19th
Excursion in Hyderabad
Monday & Tuesday June 20th -21st
Indian Institute of Public Health and College of Veterinary Science
Lectures, Discussion and site visits –
Topics: Public Health in India, Rabies, Dengue, mosquito control, disease surveillance
Wednesday, June 22nd
IIT-H
One Health India – presentations
Introduction to VenSim, Systems models, development of causal models. Form teams
with Indian students and select one of the focal areas on which to work.
Thursday, June 23rd
9 – 12 Student teams work on development of conceptual models.
1:30 - 5 Teams give status report, and work continues.
Friday, June 24th
9 – 11 Student teams finalize presentations
11 – 12 Student presentations
12 – 1:30 Final lunch and Discussion
2:00 – 3:00 Orientation on Conservation issues, Environmental health
Dinner out in Hyderabad with group
Mysore, India
Saturday, June 25th
Fly to Bangalore, Bus to Mysore
Afternoon / Evening open Excursions in Mysore
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Sunday, June 26th
Mysore Zoo, Conservation mission and activities. Wildlife and land conservation in
India
Machan Resort, Kodagu, India
Monday June 27th
Drive to Kodagu / Coorg region. Machan Resort
Visit working organic coffee estate in the forested highlands
Evening jeep safari at Nagarhole National Park
Tuesday June 28th
Morning jeep safari at Nagarhole National Park
Hiking with local naturalist
Choice of other excursions in region – rafting, hiking, birding, visit temple
Wednesday June 29th
Brief presentations by students on their selected individual health topic
Final discussions and wrap up of lessons learned.
Open time for optional excursions
Final group dinner at the resort
In transit
Thursday June 30th
Drive to Mysore, take Flybus to Bangalore airport
Fly from Bangalore to Hyderabad for flight back to O’Hare
Friday, July 1st
Return to U.S.
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