Zombie allusions: They just keep on coming™: "address[ing] cultural/historical/mythological perspectives that might alter societal norms..."

J Undergrad Neurosci Educ. 2015 Mar 15;13(2):A81-7. eCollection 2015.

Mad dogs, vampires, and zombie ants: a multidisciplinary approach to teaching neuroscience, behavior, and microbiology.

Esteban DJ1, Holloway KS2.

Author information

• 1Biology Department;
• 2Neuroscience and Behavior Program and Department of Psychology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604.

Abstract

Viruses, parasites, and some bacteria use host organisms to complete their lifecycle. These infectious agents are able to hijack host processes to replicate and transmit to the next host. While we tend to think of infections as just making us sick, they are also capable of changing host behavior. In fact, many infectious agents are able to mediate host behavior in ways that can enhance transmission of the disease. In this course we explore the process of host behavior mediation by infectious agents, combining aspects of multiple fields including neurobiology, animal behavior, infectious disease microbiology, and epidemiology. The goals for this course are: 1) To explore the neurological and behavioral effects of infectious organisms on their hosts, in particular pathogen mediation of host behavior to the benefit of the pathogen, 2) to introduce students to primary literature in a multidisciplinary field, and 3) when applicable, to address cultural/historical/mythological perspectives that might alter societal norms and pressures and influence the impact of the biological processes of behavior modification by infections.