Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management

About this course: Learn about the impact of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production by understanding the science of growth, immunity, and infection and by learning the problem-solving skills needed to advance animal health and food production through optimal management practices. There is a growing global need in agricultural production for a workforce that is capable of integrating knowledge of animal health and production with an understanding of consumer preferences in the context of economic reality, business efficiency, and ethical constraint. However, current evidence suggests that there is a growing shortage of people with the knowledge and problem-solving skills required to match the rapid advances being made in animal health, science, and food production. The results of this shortage are wide-ranging and could lead to challenges in food security and agricultural economic competitiveness in some countries. In this course we will explore the effect of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production. The content and learning outcomes of this new course will be designed to be relevant across different food production sectors (i.e., beef, dairy, poultry, and pigs). While the instructors will provide the participants with a strong scientific base for understanding the impact of infectious disease in animal-based food production, the emphasis of the material will be on practical problem-solving and will be directed towards equipping participants with a platform for developing the skills needed to contribute to sustainable food production.

Who is this class for: Some understanding of the following will help maximize your learning experience, but is not necessary to complete the course: basic mammalian biology, rudimentary microbiology, fundamentals of immunology, livestock husbandry, animal production cycles

Created by:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Taught by:  Dr. Jim Lowe, DVM, MS, Dip ABVP (Food Animal), Associate Professor

  Integrated Food Animal Management Systems, College of Veterinary Medicine

• Taught by:  Dr. Brian Aldridge, BVSc, MS, PhD, Dip ACVIM (Large Animal), MRCVS, Clinical Professor

  Integrated Food Animal Management Systems, College of Veterinary Medicine

Level Beginner Commitment 6 weeks of study; 5-7 hours/week Language English How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.7 stars Average User Rating 4.7See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


Course Orientation
You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.


1 video, 4 readings, 1 practice quiz expand

1. Video: Welcome to Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management!
2. Reading: About the Discussion Forums
3. Reading: Syllabus
4. Practice Quiz: Orientation Quiz
5. Reading: Updating Your Profile
6. Discussion Prompt: Getting to Know Your Classmates
7. Reading: Social Media

Week 1: Animals and Sustainable Food Production



This week we will review the universal and historical principles underlying livestock system design, and how management of genetics, nutrition, and the environment have advanced efficiency through their impact on the physiological processes that control animal growth, development, and production


11 videos, 2 readings expand

1. Reading: Week 1 Overview
2. Video: Introduction to Week 1
3. Reading: Week 1 Readings and Resources
4. Video: 1.1. The Challenges Before Us: Feeding 9 Billion People
5. Video: 1.2. People: Our Role in Managing Animal Well-Being
6. Video: 1.3. Farming 101: The Basics of Livestock Production (Part 1 of 4)
7. Video: 1.4. Farming 101: The Basics of Livestock Production (Part 2 of 4)
8. Video: 1.5. Farming 101: The Basics of Livestock Production (Part 3 of 4)
9. Video: 1.6. Farming 101: The Basics of Livestock Production (Part 4 of 4)
10. Video: 1.7. Understanding Growth Part 1: From 2 Cells to 30 Trillion
11. Video: 1.8. Understanding Growth Part 2: Making Meat
12. Video: 1.9. Production Efficiency through the Ages
13. Video: 1.10. The Economics of Production
14. Discussion Prompt: Week 1 Discussion

Graded: Week 1 Quiz

WEEK 2


Week 2: Disease as a Barrier to Sustainability



This week we will demonstrate the link between nutrition and health at every stage of life and production by examining the science behind efficient nutritional intake, uptake, and utilization, and exploring the mechanisms by which disease can interfere with these processes.


8 videos, 2 readings expand

1. Reading: Week 2 Overview
2. Video: Introduction to Week 2
3. Reading: Week 2 Readings and Resources
4. Video: 2.1. The "Inside" Science of Nutrition
5. Video: 2.2. The Particles and Partitioning of Dietary Nutrients
6. Video: 2.3. Failure of Nutrient Utilization Part 1: Characterization
7. Video: 2.4. Failure of Nutrient Utilization Part 2: Treatment
8. Video: 2.5. The Two-Way Street of Organ System Health and Nutrition
9. Video: 2.6. Nutrition and Disease: From Tip to Tail
10. Video: 2.7. The Toll of Infectious Disease on Growth and Production
11. Discussion Prompt: Week 2 Discussion

Graded: Week 2 Quiz
Graded: Project 1

WEEK 3


Week 3: Animals' Response to Infectious Disease



This week we will introduce the concept of the farm and each production system as an ecosystem in which animals and microbes live in mutualistic relationships, and explain the beneficial impact of ecologically managing the microbes alongside the animals to enhance host defense, animal health, and production efficiency.


11 videos, 2 readings expand

1. Reading: Week 3 Overview
2. Video: Introduction to Week 3
3. Reading: Week 3 Readings and Resources
4. Video: 3.1. Microbes: Friend or Foe?
5. Video: 3.2. Promoting Friendly Farm Infections
6. Video: 3.3. Microbial Colonization in the Newborn World
7. Video: 3.4. The Farm: It’s a Bug’s World
8. Video: 3.5. In Defense of Normality
9. Video: 3.6. The Energetic Cost of Defense
10. Video: 3.7. When the Defense Cannot Defend
11. Video: 3.8. The War Within
12. Video: 3.9. Defending the Airways
13. Video: 3.10. Defending the Next Generation
14. Discussion Prompt: Week 3 Discussion

Graded: Week 3 Quiz
Graded: Submission of Discussion Sample

WEEK 4


Week 4: Our Role in Fighting Infectious Disease



This week we consider the ravages of infectious disease on animal well-being and production system efficiency by considering disease as a war between infectious agents and their reluctant hosts, acting both at an individual and population level that can be measured and managed.


9 videos, 2 readings expand

1. Reading: Week 4 Overview
2. Video: Introduction to Week 4
3. Reading: Week 4 Readings and Resources
4. Video: 4.1. Knowing the Enemy Part 1: Bacteria
5. Video: 4.2. Knowing the Enemy Part 2: Viruses
6. Video: 4.3. Knowing the Enemy Part 3: Parasites
7. Video: 4.4. Pathogen Armaments
8. Video: 4.5. Watching the War: Anatomy of a Disease Outbreak (Part 1 of 2)
9. Video: 4.6. Watching the War: Anatomy of a Disease Outbreak (Part 2 of 2)
10. Video: 4.7. Changing the Course of Infections
11. Video: 4.8. Strengthening the Defenses: Vaccines
12. Discussion Prompt: Week 4 Discussion

Graded: Week 4 Quiz
Graded: Project 2

WEEK 5


Week 5: Our Role in Preventing Infectious Disease



This week we will be discussing the role of caregivers in managing, preventing, and controlling infectious disease in livestock-based production systems, and help you appreciate how an understanding of the prey-predator relationship can be used in the design of management strategies to offset physical, physiological, and psychological stress.


9 videos, 2 readings expand

1. Reading: Week 5 Overview
2. Video: Introduction to Week 5
3. Reading: Week 5 Readings and Resources
4. Video: 5.1. Building Defense by Building a Fence
5. Video: 5.2. Maximizing Defense by Customizing the Fence
6. Video: 5.3. Stress Biology: Caring for the Inside First
7. Video: 5.4. Behavior: The Window to Stress
8. Video: 5.5. Predators and Prey: The Origins of Stress
9. Video: 5.6. Thoughtful Management: The Foundation of Well-Being
10. Video: 5.7. Changing Stress Part 1: Movement
11. Video: 5.8. Changing Stress Part 2: Thermal
12. Discussion Prompt: Week 5 Discussion

Graded: Week 5 Quiz
Graded: Submission of Discussion Sample

WEEK 6


Week 6: Infectious Disease and the World's Food



This week we will be discussing infectious disease and its impact on food safety and security at the regional, national, international, and global level. We will also help you understand how outbreaks of important infectious diseases, such as Ebola and foot-and-mouth disease, are tracked and investigated.


10 videos, 2 readings expand

1. Reading: Week 6 Overview
2. Video: Introduction to Week 6
3. Reading: Week 6 Readings and Resources
4. Video: 6.1. Food Safety: The Invisible Net
5. Video: 6.2. Food Safety: Whole Chain Approach
6. Video: 6.3. CSI: Foodborne Infections
7. Video: 6.4. Ebola: Fruit, Bats, and People
8. Video: 6.5. How Secure is Your Next Lunch?
9. Video: 6.6. Foreign Infectious Disease: The Enemy Without
10. Video: 6.7. Foreign Infectious Disease: The Control Within
11. Video: 6.8. That's All, Folks!
12. Video: Sustainable Food Production Outtakes
13. Discussion Prompt: Week 6 Discussion

Graded: Week 6 Quiz