Infectious and Parasitic Diseases

The course aims at providing: 1) basic knowledge of the main infectious diseases of animals in a one-health perspective; 2) basic knowledge of parasitology, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of parasitic diseases.
The Infectious Diseases module will also include the basic principles of epidemiology, crucial for understanding disease transmission and the importance of correctly selecting a diagnostic assay. For each disease, special focus will be given to pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis, as these are most relevant for a biotechnologist's background. The lectures will be integrated with practical activities in the laboratory and with external activities including visits to companies or University laboratories equipped with advanced analytical and diagnostic instrumentation.
The Parasitic Diseases module will provide a detailed picture of selected parasites and parasitic diseases representing the models by which a general picture of the discipline will be delineated. Among model diseases, the course will privilege those for which molecular analyses are more advanced, in order to provide a biotechnological perspective to the course.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the etiology, transmission, pathogenesis, and manifestation of the most relevant infectious diseases; will understand the key requirements and steps in the development of a new diagnostic test in different settings and its performance measures; will be aware of the informative resources and of the National and International authorities involved in regulation, information, monitoring, and control activities. The student will also acquire the ability to describe and interpret the main parasite relationships as well as to analyze biological cycles, transmission mechanisms and parasite/host coexistence and coevolution strategies.