The development and evaluation of a two-week laboratory class, based on the diagnosis of human
infectious diseases, is described. It can be easily scaled up or down, to suit class sizes from 50 to 600
and completed in a shorter time scale, and to different audiences as desired. Students employ a range of
techniques to solve a real-life and relevant problem, and are introduced to the range and type of infectious
agents, their routes of transmission and risk factors, clinical symptoms and diagnoses, and their
treatment and prevention. No infectious material is used, and the practical is very inexpensive and easy
to prepare. Six ‘patients’ are diagnosed, using their symptoms, patient histories, temperature records,
serology, blood and faecal slide examination, and bacteriological isolation from blood, faeces and
cerebrospinal fluid.

• An Extended, Problem-Based Learning Laboratory Exercise on the Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases Suitable for Large Level 1 Undergraduate Biology Classes

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