00714 - Microbiology (LZ-A)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will know:

• žgeneral characteristic of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi and parasites
• žroutes of transmission
• žthe establishment of pathogenic host-parasite interaction
• žincubation period
• žthe role of immunity during the course of infection
• žthe meaning of production of infection and production of disease
• žthe diagnosis of infection (direct and indirect). Collection of specimens, request for testing, tests employed, interpretation of tests
• žbasic concept of prophylaxis and therapy
• žprinciple of treatment. Antimicrobial drugs and mechanism of resistance
• žmost relevant bacteria (focusing on their characteristic, mechanism of action, symptoms, diagnosis, therapy, available vaccine)
• žmost relevant viruses (focusing on their characteristic, mechanism of action, symptoms, diagnosis, therapy, available vaccine)
• žmost relevant protozoa, fungi and parasites (focusing on their characteristic, mechanism of action, symptoms, diagnosis, therapy, available vaccine).

Course contents

 

Microbiology  (8 CFU).

A.A. 2018/19 -   Prof. Maria Carla Re and  dr. Antonella Marangoni

Microbiology (8 CFU).

Medical microbiology. Manifestations of infection. Microbial causes of infection. Bacteria, viruses, protozoa and human infection. How microorganism cause diseases.

Immune response during the course of infection. Principles of direct and indirect diagnosis. Vaccines and gammaglobulins.

Bacteria. Structure, metabolism and reproduction. Spores and their meaning, bacterial genetics, mechanism of action antimicrobial drugs, mechanism of bacterial resistance. Diagnosis of bacterial infections.

Staphilococcus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae, Bacillus, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Lysteria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium, Neisseria, Enterobacteriaceae, Helicobacter, Campylobacter, clostridia (Clostridium tetani, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile), spirochetes, Chlamydia, Haemophilus, Pseudomonas, Legionella, Bordetella.

Protozoa. General characteristics of protozoa. Pathogenesis mechanisms. Giardia intestinalis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Leishmania, Amoeba, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma gondii.

Fungi. General characteristics of fungi. The most important fungal infections for humans. Yeast (Candida albicans e Candida spp), Pneumocystis carinii, Cryptococcus neoformans. Mould (Aspergillus spp).

Viruses. Classification, structure and replication cycle (DNA and RNA viruses). Pathogenesis mechanisms. Diagnosis of viral infections. Antiviral drugs and Interferon.

Orthomyxovirus, Paramyxovirus, Enterovirus (Poliovirus, Coxsackievirus), Rubivirus, Parvovirus B19, Papillomavirus, the etiologic agents of primary hepatitis viruses (HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV, ect), Arbovirus, Ebola, Herpesvirus, Retrovirus.

Readings/Bibliography

 

Michele La Placa. Principi di Microbiologia Medica. Edises XIV  edizione

Teaching methods

In-class lectures will be supported by video projector and PC.

Assessment methods

Oral examination. At the end of the course, students must know the general characteristics of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi and parasites, the mechanisms of pathogenesis, routes of transmission, microbiological diagnosis, therapy and vaccines.

Teaching tools

Slides. In-class lectures will be supported by slides. Most of slides will be online  available at the end of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Maria Carla Re