00714 - Microbiology (L-Z )

Learning outcomes

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

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

Course contents

A.A. 2024/2025

Antonella Marangoni and Simone Ambretti

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, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Haemophilus and Campylobacter.

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.

Teaching methods

During classes, 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.

Teaching tools

In-class lectures will be supported by slides. Slides will be available online (on virtuale website).

Office hours

See the website of Antonella Marangoni

See the website of Simone Ambretti