66270 - General and Fish Pathology

Learning outcomes

The student achieve the knowledge about general pathology, histopathology and pathogenesis of lesions in Teleosts, and secondarily in Crustaceans and Mollusks. The student knows how to perform a necropsy and the diagnostic methodologies.

Course contents

Pathology: Meaning of the terms pathology and disease. Cell damage. Mechanisms which cause cell damage. Mechanisms of cell signal transduction. Classification of the causes of disease. Etimology of terms etiology, pathogenesis, anatomopathologic diagnosis, differential diagnosis. Adaptive cellular processes: hypertrophy, hyperplasia, hypotrophy, atrophy, hypoplasia, pseudohypertrophy; metaplasia, dysplasia, anaplasia. Cell degeneration: accumulation of water, protein, glycogen, lipid. Degeneration of connective tissues: amyloidosis, hyalinosis, fibrinoidosis. Cell death: apoptosis, necrosis, autophagia. Ways of cell death and underlying mechanisms (Bcl protein, caspases, cytochrome c). Inflammation: key words, types of exudate. Acute and chronic inflammation. Haemodynamic disturbances: oedema, transudate, hemorrhage, thrombosis, embolism. Collapse, shock: physiopathologic features. Diseases of the immune system: pathologic basis of the hypersensitivity reactions. Environmental diseases with special emphasis of physical and chemical causes. Nutritional causes of disease: vitamins and minerals inbalances.

Fish pathology: How to describe and diagnose a disease grossly and microscopically. Study of systematic pathology of the main fish organs: gills, integument, liver, kidney, gastroenteric system, spleen, skeletal muscle, bone, eye, nervous tissue.

Mollusks diseases

Readings/Bibliography

GENERAL PATHOLOGY

1) Robbins e Cotran- Pathologic basis of disease. Elsevier

FISH PATHOLOGY

1) Ferguson HW: Systemic pathology of fish. A text and atlas of normal tissues in Teleosts and their responses in disease. 2nd edition. Scotian Press, 2006

2) Bruno DW, Noguera PA, Poppe TT: A colour atlas of salmonid diseases. 2nd edition. Springer. 2013

3) Noga EJ. Fish disease. Diagnosis and treatment. 2nd edition. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.

4) Roberts RJ. Fish pathology. 4th edition. Wiley-Blackwell

Teaching methods

Presentation of the course during the first hour of frontal lesson. Even though the attendance to the frontal lessons is not mandatory, the attendance at the practical lessons is strongly encouraged due to the necessity to have practice with microscope observation of the histological slides.

 

Assessment methods

The exam is composed by an oral (two or three questions) and a practical part, which consists on the observation of an histopathologic slide under the microscope or a comment of an image from one of the suggested textbooks. This part is considered passed if the tissue and the pathologic process have been recognized, presented and described according the learned criteria.

The final mark derive from the average of the parts of Pathology and Fish pathology.

 

Teaching tools

Books avaivable at the Cesenatico library, histologic slides, ppt presentations uploaded on the dedicated website, links to the main websites for the study of fish pathology, slides from PIGI group website.

Office hours

See the website of Luciana Mandrioli