MOOC One Health
The One Health MOOC introduces the interconnected health of humans, animals, and ecosystems, exploring how diseases emerge, spread, and impact biodiversity and societies. Through real-world case studies and practical tools, learners gain insight into surveillance, conservation, and intervention strategies for managing health risks at the human–animal–environment interface.
MOOC Syllabus
Module 1: Key One Health concepts
1.1 The One Health concept - an interdisciplinary approach
1.2 Types of pathogens
1.3 Spillovers, outbreaks and pandemics
1.4 The disease triangle – complex interactions between hosts, pathogens, and their environment
1.5 A ‘One Health’ definition
Module 2: How are diseases transmitted?
2.1 Direct transmission
2.2 Airborne transmission
2.3 Indirect transmission
2.4 Vehicle-borne transmission
2.5 Vector-borne transmission
2.6 How do pathogens enter a host?
Module 3: Where do diseases come from?
A Environmental reservoirs
B Animal reservoirs
Module 4: Health and conservation
4.1 Impacts of disease upon wildlife populations
4.2 Impacts of domestic dogs as disease reservoirs
4.3 Disease impacts upon frogs
4.4 Impacts of disease on ecosystems – introduction
4.5 Indirect impacts of disease
4.6 Impacts on the ecosystem – Rinderpest in the Serengeti.
4.7 Impacts on the ecosystem – mange in the Andes
Module 5: Spreading diseases
5.1 Protected areas, tourism & zoonotic spillover – national parks as a site of exposure for naïve/susceptible visitors e.g., Marburg virus
5.2 Impacts of domestic dogs as disease reservoirs
5.3 Wildlife trade and the spread of infectious diseases – a case study
5.4 Wildlife trade and the spread of infectious diseases
5.5 Land use change and the spread of infectious diseases
5.6 Ebola virus: urban transmission
5.7 Ebola virus: latent cases
Module 6: How to Assess the Role of Communities in Protected Areas?
6.1 Interventions & control - treating infected wildlife
6.2 Interventions & control – Part 1
6.3 Interventions & control – Part 2: vaccination
6.4 Culling wildlife to control disease is not necessarily effective: bovine TB Part 1
6.5 Culling wildlife to control disease is not necessarily effective: bovine TB Part 2
6.6 Culling wildlife to control disease is not necessarily effective: part 3
Module 7: Adopting the One Health approach
7.1 Surveillance: the systematic collection and analysis of health data.
7.2 One Health disease surveillance
7.3 Citizen science
7.4 Interdisciplinary collaborations – jargon & communication
7.5 A brief synopsis!
7.6 What about the environment?
Course Designers
This course was developed by Dan Salkeld, ecologist, researcher, and writer specializing in wildlife disease ecology, epidemiology, and conservation, with a strong focus on the ‘One Health’ approach.
Practical Information
The MOOC is delivered online, on this platform, and at your own pace.
Duration: 40 hours of online and offline work (this is an estimate; actual time may vary for each learner)
Cost: free (including the certificate upon successful completion)