76429 - Transmissible Diseases of Marine Mammals

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student acquires knowledge on the main transmissible diseases of marine mammals, with particular reference to etiopathogenesis and epidemiology. The student acquires also knowledge to support the management of stranded marine mammals and the tools for the diagnosis of the main transmissible diseases of marine mammals.

Course contents

This course is part of the Integrated Course “LARGE MARINE VERTEBRATES”.

Upon completion of the Integrated Course unit TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASES OF MARINE MAMMALS, the student will acquire knowledge on the main transmissible diseases of marine mammals, with particular reference to etiopathogenesis and epidemiology. The student acquires also knowledge to support the management of stranded marine mammals and the tools for the diagnosis of the main transmissible diseases of marine mammals.

The syllabus is structured as follows:

Lectures:

• Introduction to the main transmissible diseases described worldwide in wild and captive marine mammals (1 hour)
• Main abiotic and biotic factors influencing the emergence of diseases in cetaceans (1 hour)
• Public health aspects related to cetacean diseases (1 hour)
• Approach to stranded cetaceans and the application of diagnostic tools (1 hour)
• Main viral diseases of marine mammals (2 hours)
• Main bacterial diseases of marine mammals (2 hours)
• Main parasitic diseases of marine mammals (9 hours)
  
• Main fungal diseases of marine mammals (2 hours)
• Overview of the main transmissible diseases in other large marine vertebrates (2 hours)
  
  

Readings/Bibliography

The teaching materials for this course are available on the Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it/?lang=en ).

Required readings:
CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine (2018), Eds. F.M.D. Gulland, L.A. Dierauf & Whitman K.L., CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA

Supplementary reading:
Specific literature on the main topics provided by the teacher

Teaching methods

The course includes 21 hours of theoretical lectures. The lectures take place in a classroom equipped with PCs and a video projector, primarily using PowerPoint slides.

Assessment methods

The assessment for the Integrated Course “LARGE MARINE VERTEBRATES” consists of 4 parts:

The first part, relating to the course Sea Turtles and Cetaceans Biology (Prof. Zaccaroni), consists of a written multiple-choice test, which includes 20 questions on the topics covered in the course and is aimed at verifying the acquisition of the required knowledge.

The second part, relating to the course Transmissible Diseases of Marine Mammals (Dr. Tedesco), consists of a written test that includes 18 multiple-choice questions (1 point for each correct answer) and 2 open-ended questions (up to 6 points for each correct answer) on the topics covered in the course and aimed at verifying the acquisition of the required knowledge. Each wrong or unanswered question will be worth 0 points. The time available for the test is 1 hour.

The other two parts, relating to the courses Anatomy of Cetaceans (Prof. Bombardi) and Physiology of Cetaceans (Prof. Parmeggiani), consist of an oral exam aimed at verifying the acquisition of the required knowledge.

For details on how each exam is conducted, please refer to the online course guides.

No supplementary materials or electronic devices (e.g., calculators, tablets, smartwatches, computers) may be used during the exam, except for those explicitly allowed by the instructor.

The results of the written exam will be published within 5 working days on the Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it/?lang=en ) by the designated course contact.

The exam is considered passed only if all parts are successfully completed. The final grade is determined by the average of the grades from the various parts of the exam, expressed out of 30. A minimum final grade of 18/30 is required.
Negative results are not graded numerically but recorded as “withdrawn” or “failed” in the electronic transcript on AlmaEsami, and do not affect the student’s academic record.
Grades for individual parts and the final grade will be published on the Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it/?lang=en) by the designated course contact within 5 working days of the exam.
Students may reject the final grade at least once, by informing the course examiner via email within 5 working days.
The designated course contact for this course is Prof. Zaccaroni.

Students can register for exams through the AlmaEsami platform (http://almaesami.unibo.it/). Exams are scheduled during the designated periods in the academic calendar. Additional sessions are available for students beyond the standard program duration.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

 

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations.

In case of difficulty understanding the course content, the instructor is available for clarification meetings, which must be scheduled via email.

Office hours

See the website of Perla Tedesco