Outline

Overview

The One Health unit explores the vast landscape of disease transmission among humans, animals, and their ecosystems. This unit has a strong focus on zoonotic diseases, which are those infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans, but also explores disease transmission more broadly through ecosystems. The unit first defines the biological, ecological, environmental, social, and economic contexts of pathogens. Relevant surveillance, analytical, and prevention strategies are then described and applied to several regional and global case studies. Specific case studies will include anthrax, avian influenza, hemorrhagic fevers, Henipavirus infections, Ross River virus, and Lyme disease. The unit's philosophical and methodological approaches to infectious disease are grounded in the unique One Health paradigm, which recognises the relationships between human, animal, and ecosystem health as inextricably linked and with each foundational to the improvement of all. Students will appreciate how One Health approaches provide exceptional utility in investigating and controlling infectious diseases in urban, peri-urban, and rural contexts especially where human-livestock-wildlife interfaces have emerged from human-altered landscapes. These interfaces currently present some of the world's most significant conduits of emergent disease and therefore delineate critical challenges for global health in the 21st century. Moreover, a better understanding of these interfaces opens intriguing possibilities for leveraging habitat and climate conservation in the interests of public health.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Public Health
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Michael Walsh, michael.walsh1@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small test	Mid-semester exam Written examination	25%	Week 08	1 hour
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Final exam Written examination	25%	Week 13	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final project essay Written assessment	50%	Week 14 (STUVAC)	2500 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Assessment 1 is a 1 hour multiple choice and short answer midterm exam.
Assessment 2 is a 1 hour multiple choice and short answer final exam.
Assessment 3 is a 2500 written essay identifying a potential public health problem at a wildlife-human interface and describing a One Health solution.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Students are required to be present for assessments 1 and 2, the midterm and final exams. Assessment 3 is worth 50% of the student's final mark. Failure to complete the assessment on the due date will result in a loss of 5% per day, unless the student has received prior written permission from the Unit Coordinator for a late submission.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	The One Health paradigm	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Infectious organisms	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Infection dynamics	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Zoonotic Disease	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Surveillance Mechanisms	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Land Use, Climate, and Biodiversity	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Ecology and Disease	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Landscape epidemiology	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Anthrax	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Avian influenza and coronaviruses	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Hendra virus, Ross River virus, and Ebola virus	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Antimicrobial resistance	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Direct observation and description of a human-animal interface in an ecosystem experiencing anthropogenic pressure in metropolitan Sydney	Field trip (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance is required for all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Comprehensively understand the One Health paradigm in principal and application
LO2. Apply ecological thinking and practice to better understand infectious disease processes
LO3. Apply ecological thinking and practice to refine and innovate conventional methods public health control and intervention
LO4. Understand the nature of transdisciplinary research and practice in public health using the One Health paradigm as a gold standard guiding principle

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

More information can be found on Canvas.

Additional costs

There are no additional costs for this unit.

Site visit guidelines

There are no site visit guidelines for this unit.

Work, health and safety

There are no specific WHS requirements for this unit.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PUBH5400: One Health

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect