BIOTECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO SUSTAINABLE CONTROL OF PARASITARY DISEASES
cod. 1009078

Academic year 2021/22
2° year of course - Second semester
Professor
- Alice VISMARRA
Academic discipline
Parassitologia e malattie parassitarie degli animali (VET/06)
Field
A scelta dello studente
Type of training activity
Student's choice
14 hours
of face-to-face activities
2 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives

Parasites of animals directly or indirectly contribute to reduce global sustainability. Sustainable parasite control is not an absolute concept and therefore, could have different levels of adoption and impact. Within this context the capacity to prioritize the target parasite species for control according to local epidemiology, the early diagnosis and monitoring of parasite resistance as well as the availability of well trained field professionals acquire a major role, creating an enabling environment for present and future decision support system approaches.

Prerequisites

none

Course unit content

The course will illustrate how to apply biomolecular techniques for the diagnosis, study of the epidemiology and etiopathogenesis of parasitic animal diseases. In addition, the latest sustainable methods of controlling parasitic infections, including so-called "Hidden vaccines" will be discussed in depth and critically.

Full programme

Intro to parasitology
Protozoa:Toxoplasma gondii
Helminths: Filarioidea
Artropoda: ticks

Bibliography

Notes and slides;Parassitologia Veterinaria, Urquart et al, (ed. Genchi C.), UTET, 2006;
Genchi M, Traldi G, Genchi C, Manuale di Parassitologia Veterinaria, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana (2010).

Teaching methods

the course takes place in 12 hours of theoretical frontal teaching, with power point slides, and 2 hours of practical frontal teaching in the laboratory (for a total of 14 hours and 2 credits). The slides are considered an integral part of the teaching material. Non-attending students are reminded to check the teaching material available and the information provided by the teacher through the Elly platform.

Assessment methods and criteria

Students will have to prepare a Power point presentation through which they will describe a parasite chosen from those presented in class, will frame the major problems related to the parasitosis in question, the possible solutions and alternatives to the use of drugs. In addition to this they will choose a scientific article published in a journal with impact factor that deals with the chosen topic and will make a short presentation.

Other information

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