MICROBIOLOGY
cod. 08708

Academic year 2011/12
2° year of course - Second semester
Professor responsible for the course unit
CALDERARO Adriana
integrated course unit
9 credits
hub:
course unit
in - - -

Course unit structured in the following modules:

Learning objectives

Students have to know:
1. the morphology and structure of bacteria/ fungi/ parasites/ viruses, the physiology
of bacteria/ fungi/ parasites and the replication of viruses
2. the classification of bacteria/fungi/parasites/viruses
3. the natural history of infections by bacteria/ fungi/ parasites/ viruses and their
mechanisms of pathogenicity
4. the main defense mechanisms of the host against infections by bacteria/ fungi/
parasites/ viruses
5. the main mechanisms of action of drugs against bacteria/ fungi/ parasites/ viruses
and the mechanisms of resistance to drugs6. the laboratory procedures to study the
morphology and growth requirements of bacteria/ fungi/ parasites/ viruses, and their
in vitro susceptibility to antimicrobial and antiviral drugs.

Prerequisites

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Course unit content

GENERAL BACTERIOLOGY
The evolutionary aspects of research in microbiology. Classification of the microbial
world. Morphology and structure of bacterial cell. Chemical composition of the
bacterial cell. Bacterial genetics. The bacterial metabolism. The microbial
reproduction. The cultivation of bacteria. Antibacterial drugs: mechanisms of action
and resistance, susceptibility testing. The microrganisms and the multicellular
organisms. The resident microbiota of the body. Bacteria-host interactions.
Mechanisms of bacterial pathogenicity and virulence. Invasiveness. Toxigenicity.
Antigenic mimetism. Steps in the reduction shid between host and bacteria. Notes
on modes of transmission of infectious diseases, sources of infection and epidemics
influencing factors .
GENERAL MYCOLOGY
- Introduction to Medical Mycology. General features of fungi. Structure of the fungal
cell and colony. Fungal metabolism. Modalities of fungal reproduction. Fungal
dimorphism. Classification of fungi. Mechanisms of fungal pathogenicity. Immune
response to fungal infections. Host-parasite interactions in fungal infections.
Pathogenesis of mycoses. Classification of mycoses. Epidemiology of mycoses.
Antifungal drugs. Mycotoxins.
GENERAL PARASITOLOGY
Parasitism, commensalism, mutualism. Infections and infestations. Host-parasite
interactions. Prevalence of parasitic infections and infestations. Classification of
medically important human parasitic Protozoa, Helmints and Arthropods.
GENERAL VIROLOGY
The beginnings of experimental virology. Definition of viruses. Characteristics of
viruses. Nature of viruses. Theories on the origin of viruses. Morphology of viruses.
Structure of viruses: cubic symmetry, helical symmetry, complex structure,
combined cubic and helical symmetry.
Chemical composition of viruses: nucleic acids , proteins, lipids, carbohydrates.
Haemagglutination by viruses.
Quantitative determination of viruses: chemical and physical determinations,
infectivity assays.
Steps in multiplication of viruses: adsorption, penetration, uncoating, synthesis of
viral components, maturation, release. Nucleic acid replication of RNA viruses.
Nucleic acid replication of DNA viruses. Expression of viral genomes . Cultivation of
viruses: cultivation in cell culture in vitro: cytopathic effect, haemadsorption,
immunoenzymatic and immunofluorescence techniques, cultivation in chicken
embryos, cultivation in animals.
Viral genetics: induction of mutations by physical and chemical agents, different
types of mutants, pleiotropism; covariation. Interactions between virus phenotypes:
complementation, phenotypic mixing, transcapsidation. Interactions between virus
genotypes: intramolecular recombination, genetic reassortment, polyploidism.
Viral interference: absorption mediated, homologue, heterologue, interferonmediated.
Virus-host interactions: pathogenesis of viral infections, the response from the host
to viral infections, persistent infections, notes on the epidemiology of viral infections,
notes on the prophylaxis and therapy with antiviral drugs.
The classification of viruses: classification based on pathogenetic and
epidemiological characteristics, classification based on chemical, physical,
biological and antigenic characteristics.

SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY
Morphology, cultivation, identification, mechanisms of pathogenicity, natural history
of infections with reference to the following bacteria:
Staphylococcus (S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus and other species);
Streptococcus (S. pyogenes, S. agalactiae, S. pneumoniae); Enterococcus (S.
faecalis, S. faecium and other species); Neisseria (N. meningitidis, N. gonorrhoeae);
Salmonella and other main Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia coli, Shigella,
Edwardsiella, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Hafnia, Serratia, Proteus,
Morganella, Providencia, Yersinia); Vibrio, Campylobacter; Brucella; Bordetella;
Haemophilus; Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Listeria; Legionella; Pseudomonas,
Acinetobacter; Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus; Bacillus anthracis.
Anaerobic bacteria: Streptococcus/ Peptostreptococcus; Bacteroides,
Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Fusobacterium; Clostridium (C. tetani, C. perfringens,
C. difficile, C. botulinum);
Gram-positive non sporeforming bacteria: (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium,
Propionibacterium, Actinomyces (A. israeli and other species); Spirochetes
(Treponema, Leptospira, Borrelia, Brachispira); Mycoplasma; Chlamydia; Rickettsia.
SYSTEMATIC MYCOLOGY
Yeasts. Moulds. Etiologic agents of superficial mycoses. Etiologic agents of (muco)
cutaneous mycoses. Etiologic agents of subcutaneous mycoses. Etiologic agents of
deep mycoses. Etiologic agents of paramycoses.
SYSTEMATIC PARASITOLOGY
Parasitic Protozoa of medical interest. Life cycle of most important blood and tissue
parasitic protozoa: haemoflagellates (Leishmania, Trypanosoma); human malaria
parasites; Toxoplasma gondii; free-living amebae (Acanthamoeba, Naegleria). Life
cycle of most important intestinal and urogenital parasitic protozoa: host-associated
amebae (Entamoeba histolytica); ciliate (Balantidium coli); coccidia
(Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Isospora); microsporidia; flagellates (Dientamoeba
fragilis, Giardia intestinalis, Trichomonas vaginalis). Parasitic helminths of humans.
Life cycle of most important blood and tissue parasitic helminths: cestodes
(Echinococcus - hydatidosis; Taenia solium - cysticercosis); nematodes (Filaria,
Trichinella, Toxocara); trematodes (Fasciola, Schistosoma).
Life cycle of most important intestinal parasitic helminths: cestodes (Diphyllobotrium
latum, Hymenolepis nana, Taenia saginata, Taenia solium); nematodes (Enterobius
vermicularis, Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma, Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichuris
trichiura).
Notes on most medical interest important parasitic arthropods of medical interest.
Notes on most important antiparasite drugs.
SYSTEMATIC VIROLOGY
Morphological and structural characteristics. Introduction to cultural characteristics
and identification, pathogenesis of infections, epidemiology, prophylaxisand therapy
relative to :
Picornavirus, Orthomyxovirus, Paramyxovirus, Rhabdovirus, Reovirus, Togavirus,
Filovirus, Retrovirus, Adenovirus, Herpesvirus, Poxvirus, Hepatitis viruses,
Papovavirus.

Full programme

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Bibliography

"MICROBIOLOGIA MEDICA: BATTERIOLOGIA, MICOLOGIA, VIROLOGIA. Gli
agenti infettivi dell'uomo: biologia, azione patogena, laboratorio. " Monduzzi Editore

M.Bendinelli, A. Calderaro, C. Chezzi - Parassitologia Medica - Monduzzi Editore

Teaching methods

Oral e practical lesson

Assessment methods and criteria

Oral exam

Other information

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