Principles of Hygiene and Prevention of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Unconventional Pets

A.Y. 2023/2024
3
Max ECTS
32
Overall hours
SSD
VET/05 VET/06
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide basic knowledge on the hygiene and prevention of infectious and parasitic diseases of the most common non-conventional animals as pets (reptiles, birds and ornamental fish, rodents and lagomorphs) in order to understand and prevent the potential risk of diffusion of pathologies that they may represent for the animals themselves and for humans as they are potential agents of infectious and parasitic diseases, including zoonotic ones. Another objective of the course is to provide the student with the notions on management and operational strategies that allow the control and prevention of the transmission of diseases in non-conventional animals in the context of farms, temporary shelter structures ("guesthouses") and in those in the medical-veterinary field.
Expected learning outcomes
1. Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course, the student will have to demonstrate that he has acquired basic knowledge on the hygiene, prevention, and control of infectious diseases of non-conventional animals most commonly used as pets, as well as the related laboratory techniques useful for monitoring these diseases.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding: the student must demonstrate knowledge and concepts useful for the identification of infectious diseases in the species treated during the course. He/she will have to demonstrate that he/she knows how to apply biosafety rules for the prevention of these diseases and will be able to apply monitoring plans.
3. Making judgments: the student must demonstrate the ability to critically argue the information acquired. The specific practical activities on the identification, monitoring and prevention of infectious diseases are aimed in this direction.
4. Communication: the student must demonstrate the ability to express him/herself with scientifically appropriate terminology, in particular with regard to the terminology referring to infectious diseases of the species covered by the course. Practical activities are intended to stimulate the ability to express oneself correctly and the ability to discuss scientifically with peers.
5. Lifelong learning skills: the student must demonstrate the ability to use the knowledge acquired to interpret new situations or aspects of which he/she has not had direct experience in the field of monitoring and control of infectious diseases, for instance, searching scientific databases and critically organising new information.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
Lectures:
- Basic biology of treated animal species (2 hours)
- Epidemiology of infectious diseases (2 hours)
- Main zoonoses in non-conventional pet animals (2 hours)
- Biosecurity of housing facilities (farms, animal shops, clinics) (2 hours)
- Biology, host-parasite interaction, and epidemiology of non-conventional pets' parasites (3 hours)
- Importance of zoonotic parasitic diseases in non-conventional animals as pets (2 hours)
- Hygiene, prevention, and integrated control of parasitic diseases in non-conventional pets in the context of farms, temporary shelter structures and those in the medical-veterinary field (3 hours)

Practical activities:
- Visit to a Wildlife Recovery Centre or Wildlife Park (4 hours)
- Practical exercises in the necropsy room on non-conventional and/or wild species (4 hours)
- Special morphology of canine and feline parasites and parasitological techniques (4 hours)
- Parasitic monitoring and community hygiene (4 hours)
Prerequisites for admission
There are no mandatory prerequisites; however, to achieve the expected learning objectives, it is necessary to have acquired the basic principles of General Microbiology, Immunology and Farming Hygiene and Parasitology, biosecurity and diagnostics of parasitic diseases.
Teaching methods
Frontal teaching and practical activities in classes, laboratories, necropsy rooms, and educational visits to parks or wild animal recovery centres.
Teaching Resources
- Slides of the course, available on the Ariel platform
- Taylor M.A., Coop R.L., Wall R.L. "Parassitologia e malattie parassitarie degli animali". 2022, Quarta Edizione - Edizioni Edra & Edizioni Veterinarie. Edizione Italiana a cura di Domenico Otranto
- Piergili Fioretti D, Moretti A. "Parassitologia e Malattie parassitarie in Medicina Veterinaria", 2020, Bononia University Press.
Assessment methods and Criteria
- The exam, identical for attending and non-attending students, consists of a written test lasting 45 minutes with 32 multiple choice questions (16 regarding bacterial and viral pathogens, 16 regarding parasites, based on the reference material) aimed at assessment of the acquisition and correct understanding of the course contents. The test will be evaluated out of thirty, and the final evaluation will consider the correctness of the answers: 1 point for each correct answer and 0 points for each incorrect answer. To achieve a pass, it will be necessary to correctly answer at least nine questions on infectious diseases caused by viral and bacterial agents and at least nine on infections caused by parasites.
- The results of the tests will be communicated via e-mail.
VET/05 - INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS - University credits: 1.5
VET/06 - PARASITOLOGY AND ANIMAL PARASITIC DISEASES - University credits: 1.5
Practicals: 16 hours
Lessons: 16 hours