35532 - Parasitology and Mycology

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Moduli: Marialetizia Fioravanti (Modulo 1) Roberta Galuppi (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Veterinary Medicine (cod. 8617)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student acquires knowledge of basic principles, correct terminology, taxonomy, morphology, epidemiology, life cycle of the parasites and mycetes which are more common and important in Veterinary Medicine, with regard also to Public Health. The student is able to recognize parasites and mycetes through macroscopic and microscopic observations of slides and preparations.

Course contents

The course is organized in two modules: Module 1 Parasitology (42 hours) held by Marialetizia Fioravanti and Module 2 Micology (6 hours) held by Roberta Galuppi.

Contents of Module 1 Parasitology:

General part – General concepts on parasitism. Definition of parasite and host. Terminology in parasitology. Notes of taxonomy and biology of parasites of interest in veterinary medicine. Relationships host-parasite and effects of parasites on the host. Special part - classification, morphology and life cycle of parasitic protozoans (amoebae, flagellates, ciliates, apicomplexans), helminths (cestodes, digeneans, monogeneans, nematodes) and arthropods (acari and insects) of main importance in veterinary medicine and Public Health.

Contents of Module 2 Mycology:

The Kingdom of Fungi: the role of fungi in nature; morphology, physiology, propagation, reproduction and pathogenicity factors. Classification. Most important fungi in veterinary medicine: Malassezia spp., dermatophytes, Aspergillus spp., Cryptococcus spp., Candida spp.

Practical lectures - Techniques for parasitological and mycological examination of different biological matrices and recognition methods of main mycetes and parasitic protozoans, helminths and arthropods of interest in veterinary medicine and Public Health.

Readings/Bibliography

Powerpoint presentations and other teaching materials used by the teacher during the course and uploaded on Piattaforma "Insegnamenti OnLine" (https://iol.unibo.it/)

Pampiglione S., Canestri Trotti G., Guida allo studio della parassitologia, Casa Editrice Esculapio, Bologna, 1990.

Deplazes P., Eckert J., Mathis A., von Samson-Himmelstjerna G., Zahner H., Parasitology for Veterinary Medicine, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, 2016.

Tampieri M.P. Micologia Veterinaria, Uninova, Parma, 2004

Genchi M., Traldi G., Genchi G. Manuale di Parassitologia Veterinaria. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Milano, 2010.

Peano A. Capitolo 19 "Micologia", in Microbiologia e Immunologia III edizione, ed. Poli G., Casa Editrice Edra, Milano, 2017.

Teaching methods

The course of Parasitology and Mycology ((4 CFU; 48 ore) consists of theoretical and practical lessons and is composed of two modules: Module 1 Parasitology (32 hours of theoretical lessons and 10 of practical lessons × 4 rounds) and Module 2 Micology (6 hours of theoretical lessons). The theoretical lectures take place in a teaching room properly supplied with web-connected PC and PC video-projector, with the backing of power-point slides. The practical lectures, carried out in a properly equipped teaching lab, provide for a constant presence of the teacher and collaborators together with the students, with introductive and explanatory discussions. Every practical training activity is carried out by the student individually or in small groups and subjected to verification and discussion with teachers and their collaborators, with compilation of a learning evaluation form at the end of each practical lecture.

Assessment methods

The assessment of learning is through a final exam, which ensures the acquisition of knowledge and skills expected by conducting a practical exam, followed by an oral examination composed of questions on the contents of the course. The practical exam consists of the recognition of a parasitic or mycotic agent by the student in order to test his/her capacities acquired during the practical part of the course. The oral examination consists of questions aimed at ascertaining the knowledge acquired by the student on different topics dealt with during the theoretical lectures of the two modules. The test will be passed when a minimum mark of 18/30 will be obtained. The final score of the integrated course "Microbiology and Parasitology" will be unique and uniformly assessed by the teachers of the three courses that compose it. Being an integrated course, it has to be specified that the verbalising teacher is Marialetizia Fioravanti.


Teaching tools

The theoretical lectures take place in a classroom supplied with multimedia equipment (web-connected PC and PC video-projector), with powerpoint presentations; practical lessons take place in teaching lab equipped for parasitological analyses, microscopy and staining techniques. Futhermore parasitological and mycological collections will be used by the teahcers during the practical lectures.

Office hours

See the website of Marialetizia Fioravanti

See the website of Roberta Galuppi

SDGs

Good health and well-being Life on land

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.