00714 - Microbiology

Learning outcomes

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

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

Course contents

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, Lysteria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium, Neisseria, Enterobacteriaceae, Helicobacter, clostridia (Clostridium tetani, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile), spirochetes, Chlamydia, Legionella, Bordetella.

Protozoa. 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, Papillomavirus, the etiologic agents of primary hepatitis viruses (HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV, etc), Arbovirus, Coronavirus, Herpesvirus, Retrovirus.

Readings/Bibliography

Michele La Placa. Principi di Microbiologia Medica. XIV Ed.

Murray Patrick et al., Microbiologia Medica, EDRA, Nona Edizione, 2021

Teaching methods

During the lessons the hot topics will be discussed with the students.

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.

Grade point scale:

• preparation on very limited number of topics covered during the course and developing of analytical skills only with the assistance of the professor, using the proper language [https://context.reverso.net/traduzione/inglese-italiano/the+proper+language] → 18-19;
• preparation on limited number of topics covered during the course and analytical skills only on purely executive matters, using the proper language [https://context.reverso.net/traduzione/inglese-italiano/the+proper+language] → 20-24;
• preparation on large number of topics covered during the course, ability to make independent choices of critical thinking, mastery of specific terminology → 25-29;
• exhaustive preparation on the topics covered during the course, ability to make autonomous choices of critical thinking and connection, full mastery of specific terminology, argue and self-reflection skills → 30-30 cum laude.

The examination will evaluate whether the students have mastered the above listed skills and have reached the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

In-class lectures will be supported by slides. Most of the slides will be available online (on virtuale website) before the beginning of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Vittorio Sambri