Parasitology-Mycology

 

LEARNING RESULTS

The aim of the course is the study of parasites and fungi of Public Health interest. The course has the objective to offer our students the needed knowledge on parasites (protozoa and helminths) that can be found in Greece, their structure, their life cycle and their mode of transmission. Parasitic infections, their diagnostic methods and their treatment will be analyzed along with their impact on Public Health, as well as prevention and control measures that can be taken on personal and community level.

The course will also provide our students the relevant knowledge on fungal structure and genetics, mycoses and mycotoxicoses, their symptoms and treatment.  During the course, the importance of pathogenic and environmental fungi within the frame of Public Health (including Sick Building Syndrome) as well as the methods of detection, control and prevention will be analyzed.

Upon the successful completion of the course, the student will be able:

• To understand the theoretical background on parasites and fungi that are encountered in Greece and their relation to Public Health.
• To acquire skills on the detection of parasites through microscopy, their isolation from cultures, the detection of antibodies against parasites in the blood as well as the detection through molecular methods.
• To acquire skills on the isolation of fungi by culture, their identification as well as their detection using molecular methods.

 

GENERAL SKILLS

• Researching, analyzing and combining data and information, applying techniques and identification methods of parasites or fungi that have being isolated and identified.
• Decision making skills about the strategy that should be applied to manage a Public Health problem due to parasites and fungi presence.
• Individual essays and team essays

 

CORSE CONTENT

1. Parasites in general
2. Protozoa

– Rhizopoda: Intestinal amoeba, Environmental amoeba

– Intestinal, Oral and Vaginal Flagellates: Giardia lamblia, Dientamoeba fragilis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Trichomonas gingivalis, Trichomonas tenax

– Blood and tissue flagellates: Leishmania sp

– Apicomplexa: Plasmodium sp., Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Cystoisospora.

– Cilliates: Balantidium coli.

3. Helminths

– Nematoda: Ascaris sp., Enterobius vermicularis, Trichuris trichura, Strongyloides stercoralis, Hookworm, Taenia sp., Toxocara sp., Dirofilaria sp.

– Cestodes: Taenia sp, Echinococcus sp, Diphyllobothrium latum.

– Trematoda: Fasciola hepatica, Heterophyes heterophyes, Opisthorchis felineus

4. Fungi

– General information about yeasts and molds

– Fungal infections: superficial fungal infections, dermatophytiases, systemic fungal infections, opportunistic fungal infections.

– Mycotoxins-Mycotoxicosis, aflatoxins, ergot

– Environmental fungi and sick building syndrome

5. Laboratory Practice

– Stool examination for ova and parasites- concentration procedures

– Examination for parasites in blood and tissue

– Serology and Molecular diagnostics for parasites.

– Detection of Parasites in the environment

– Fungal culture

-Detection of molds in the environment (Sick Building Syndrome Inspection)

 

STUDENT EVALUATION

Evaluation is conducted in the Greek language.

1. During the semester, students are asked to make a course-based presentation for the class.
2. The written final exam includes:

• Development questions
• Multiple-choice Test
• Short Answer Questions

For the evaluation of students, fullness of answer, clarity, the degree of critical thinking of the student and language proficiency are taken into consideration.

 

RECOMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Βακάλης, Ν. 2004. Ιατρική Παρασιτολογία. Ιατρικές Εκδόσεις Ζήτα, Αθήνα
• Greenwood, D. & Slack, R (2016). Ιατρική Μικροβιολογία. Broken Hill, Inc
• Heelan, J.S. 2008. Περιστατικά Κλινικής Μικροβιολογίας και Παρασιτολογίας. Β. τόμος, (ASM PRESS) Ιατρικές Εκδόσεις Π. Χ. Πασχαλίδη
• Βυζαντιάδης, Τ-Α, Αρβανίτη Ε, Πατσατσή Α, Τραγιαννίδης Α (2019) Εισαγωγή στην ιατρική μυκητολογία. University Studio Press
• Despommier, Dickson D, Griffin, Daniel O, Gwadz, Robert W, Hotez, Peter J, Knirsch, CharlesA (2019) Parasitic Diseases. Parasites Without Borders, Inc
• Leventhal R, Cheadle RF (2020). Medical Parasitology: A Self-instructional Text F.A. Davis Company, 2020
• Paniker, MD, Jayaram CK (2018) Paniker’s Textbook of Medical Parasitology.Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers
• Christopher C. Kibbler, CC, Richard Barton,R, Neil A. R. , Gow, S, Howell, D, MacCallum M, Rohini J. (2018) Oxford Textbook of Medical Mycology. Oxford University Press
• Chadler, J(2018). Textbook of Medical Mycology.  Jaypee Brothers Medical Pubshers

 

EUDOXUS

• Εισαγωγή στη Μικροβιολογία 2η έκδοση, Tortora Gerard, Funke Berdell, Case Christine Λεπτομέρειες
•  Ιατρική Μικροβιολογία, Greenwood D., Slack R. Λεπτομέρειες