Subject objectives
- To know and identify the main species of parasites responsible for disease in humans.
- To relate the morphological and biological knowledge in the parasitological diagnosis.
- To apply the biological and epidemiological basis in the prevention and control of parasitic diseases.
- Building capacity to formulate and solve practical problems of parasitology type.
Contents
Programme of lectures:
SECTION I. GENERAL
Unit 1. Parasitism as a biological association. Biological cycles. Types of parasites and hosts.
Unit 2. Parasite taxonomy and nomenclature. Bases and limitations of morphological characterisation.
Unit 3. Parasite actions on the host: parasites as pathogenic organisms. Impact of parasitic diseases on human and animal populations.
Unit 4. Factors determining the distribution and prevalence of parasitic diseases: biotic, abiotic and social factors. Epidemiology. Parasitic zoonoses.
Unit 5. Bases for the control of parasitic diseases.
SECTION II. PROTOZOOLOGY
Unit 6. Protozoa: introduction, biology and classification.
Unit 7. Intestinal amoebae: Entamoeba histolytica. Amphizoic amoebae: Naegleria, Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia.
Unit 8. Intestinal flagellates: Giardia duodenalis. Urogenital flagellates: Trichomonas vaginalis.
Unit 9. Hemotisular flagellates: Leishmania and Trypanosoma.
Unit 10. Ciliates: Balantidium coli.
Unit 11. Intestinal apicomplexans: Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora and Isospora.
Unit 12. Tissue apicomplexans: Sarcocystis and Toxoplasma.
Unit 13. Haematic apicomplexans: Plasmodium.
SECTION III. HELMINTOLOGY
Unit 14. Trematodes: introduction, biology and classification.
Hepatobiliary trematodes: Fasciola, Clonorchis and Opistorchis.
Unit 16. Intestinal trematodes: Fasciolopsis and Heterophyes. Pulmonary trematodes: Paragonimus.
Unit 17. Haematic trematodes: Schistosoma.
Unit 18. Cestodes: introduction, biology and classification.
Unit 19. Pseudophyllids: Diphyllobothrium and Spirometra.
Unit 20. Cyclophyllids: Taenia, Echinococcus and Hymenolepis.
Unit 21. Nematodes: introduction, biology and classification.
Unit 22. Trichuridae: Trichuris and Trichinella.
Unit 23. Ascarids: Ascaris, Toxocara and Anisakis.
Unit 24. Strongylids: Ancylostoma and Necator. Rabditidae: Strongyloides.
Unit 25. Oxyuridae: Enterobius vermicularis.
Unit 26. Filariae: Wuchereria, Brugia, Onchocerca, Loa and Mansonella.
SECTION IV. ARTHROPODOLOGY
Unit 27. Arthropods: introduction, biology and classification. Health interest and vectorial role.
Unit 28. Mites: Sarcoptes and Demodex. Ticks: Argas and Ixodes.
Unit 29. Insects. Lice: Pediculus and Pthirus. Bedbugs: Triatomidae and Cimex. Fleas: Pulex and Tunga.
Unit 30. Diptera (mosquitoes, flies and horseflies): Anopheles, Culex and Aedes. Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia. Simulium. Culicoides. Glossina. Chrysops. Main aetiological agents of myiasis.
PROGRAMME OF PRACTICAL LESSONS
Practical lesson 1. Description and operation of the microscope. Protozoa: morphological characteristics of amoebae, flagellates, ciliates and apicomplexans. Observation of preparations.
Practical lesson 2. Description and operation of the stereomicroscope. Trematodes: morphological characteristics of adults, eggs and larval stages. Biological cycles. Observation of preparations.
Practical lesson 3. Cestodes: morphological characteristics of adults, eggs and larval stages. Life cycles. Observation of preparations.
Practical lesson 4. Nematodes: morphological characteristics of adults, eggs and larval stages. Life cycles. Observation of preparations. Natural infection.
Practical lesson 5. Arthropods: morphological characteristics of insects, mites and ticks. Observation of preparations.
Basic and complementary bibliography
Basic
- Parasitología Humana. W.L. Apt Baruch. McGraw-Hill Interamericana. 1ª Edición. 2013.
- Foundations of Parasitology. L.S. Roberts, J. Janovy y S. Nadler. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 9ª Edición. 2013.
- Atlas de Parasitología humana. L.R. Ash y T.C. Orihel Editorial Médica Panamericana. 5ª Edición. 2010.
Complementary
- Manual de Parasitología: morfología y biología de los parásitos de interés sanitario. J. Gállego Berenguer. Publicacions i Edicions Universitat de Barcelona, D.L. 2007.
- Parasitic diseases. D.D. Despommier;J.W. Karapelou y J. Jensen. New York : Apple Trees. 5ª Edicción. 2006.
- http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Para_Health.htm. DPDx – Laboratory Identification of Parasitic Diseases of Public Health Concern. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Competencies
General competences
- 9. Intervene in health promotion and disease prevention activities at individual, family and community level, with a comprehensive and multiprofessional vision of the health-disease process.
- 12. Perform hygienic-sanitary analyses, especially those related to food and the environment.
- 13. Develop communication and information skills, both oral and written, in order to deal with patients and users of the centre where they carry out their professional activity.
- 14. Promote work and collaboration skills in multidisciplinary teams and those related to other health care professionals.
- 16. Recognise one's own limitations and the need to maintain and update professional competence, giving special importance to self-learning of new knowledge based on the available scientific evidence.
Specific competences
- B04. Understand the relationship between the life cycle of infectious agents and the properties of active ingredients.
- B08. Know the nature and behaviour of infectious agents.
- MF02. Know and understand the basic fundamentals of clinical analysis and the characteristics and contents of the opinions of laboratory diagnosis.
- MF03. Develop hygienic-sanitary analyses (biochemical, bromatological, microbiological, parasitological) related to health, in general, and to food and environment in particular.
- MF09. Understand the relationship between food and health, and the importance of diet in the treatment and prevention of diseases.
- LS01. Know the basics of public health and intervene in health promotion activities, disease prevention in the individual and collective spheres and contribute to health education, recognising the determinants of health in the population, both genetic and those dependent on sex and lifestyle, demographic, environmental, social, economic, psychological and cultural.
Transversal competences
- CI03. Basic general knowledge
- CS01. Ability to apply knowledge in practice
- CS03. Ability to learn
Teaching methodology
Lectures: lessons given by the teaching staff, which can have different formats. The lecturers may be supported by audiovisual and computer media. The USC virtual platform will serve as a support and complement to the theoretical teaching. These classes will usually follow the contents of the programme proposed in the subject's Teaching Guide. Attendance is recommended.
Seminar classes: theoretical/practical class in which applications of the theory are proposed and solved. Students must actively participate in these classes. Students who are unable to attend the assigned seminar group for a justified reason must inform the lecturer in charge sufficiently in advance or their non-attendance will have a negative cualification.
Practical classes: this includes classes that take place in the laboratory. In these classes, students acquire the skills required in a Parasitology laboratory. Each of the practicals will consist of a brief presentation of the fundamentals and methodology to be followed. Students will not be assessed if they do not carry out the laboratory practicals. Students or students who, for a justified reason, cannot attend their assigned practical group, must inform the lecturer in charge sufficiently in advance in order to restructure the groups. The laboratory practicals will be compulsory and will be valid for three academic years, including the year in which they are carried out.
Tutorials: these will be devoted to resolving doubts or clarifications and will be scheduled by the lecturer at the student's request.
Evaluation system
- The student will not be able to pass the course if he/she does not carry out the practical classes and his/her final grade in the course will be "Not Presented".
- The evaluation will consist of a theoretical exam that will account for 90% of the final grade and may consist of: definition of basic concepts, answers to short and multiple choice questions, interpretation of images and diagrams, resolution of practical cases and development of fundamental topics. The knowledge acquired during the practical classes will also be assessed.
- There will be a complementary continuous assessment in which participation, attitude and use of the different programmed activities will be assessed, including the interactive seminar and laboratory classes. Its assessment will be 10% of the final grade, but it will be necessary to obtain a minimum mark (5 out of 10) in the theory exam in order to apply this assessment. This assessment will only be valid for the academic year in which it is obtained.
- The assessment of the competences acquired in the subject will be carried out in the following ways:
A. In the exam, the following competences will be assessed: 9, 12, 13, 16, B04, B08, MF02, MF03, MF09, LS01, CI03, CS01,
CS03.
B. In the laboratory practicals the following competences will be assessed: 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, B04, B08, MF02, MF03, MF09,
LS01, CI03, CS01, CS03.
C. In the interactive classes the following competences will be assessed: 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, B04, B08, MF02, MF03, MF09, LS01,
CI03, CS01, CS03.
- In the second opportunity call, the same assessment criteria will be used as in the first call.
- For cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the "Normativa de Avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revision de cualificacions" will be applied.
Studying time and personal work
CLASSROOM WORK HOURS
Lectures in large groups: 30
Interactive classes in small groups: 2
Tutorials in very small groups: 2
Laboratory practicals: 20
Exams and revision: 4
Total hours of face-to-face work in the classroom or in the laboratory: 58
PERSONAL WORK OF THE STUDENT HOURS
Individual or group self-study: 54.5
Readings, recommended web pages, ....: 10
Practical work: 20
Work preparation: 7.5
Total hours of personal work of the student: 92
Subject study recommendations
Recommendations for the study of the subject:
- Attend lectures.
- Keep your study up to date.
- In each subject, it is useful to summarise the important points, making sure you know both their meaning and their application.
- Consult the lecturer responsible for any doubts that may arise.
- Use the virtual platform as a complement and consult the bibliography.
- Use the tutorial hours to resolve any doubts.
Recommendations for the assessment:
It is recommended to read the exam carefully in order to adjust the answers to the questions posed.
Recommendations for the recovery:
Students who do not pass the assessment process successfully at the first opportunity should go to the teacher to seek the necessary advice once they have checked the faults that caused them to fail the exam.
Observations
NOTE: All genera and species in the programme should be correctly written in italics, the currently available software does not allow this.
