Veterinary Parasitology I

Code: MVT14064I

6 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours

Scientific Area: Veterinary Medicine

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Presentation

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Vida na água - Conservação e uso sustentável dos oceanos, dos mares, e dos recursos marinhos para o desenvolvimento sustentável.

Vida terrestre - Proteger, recuperar e promover o uso sustentável dos ecossistemas terrestres, gerir de forma sustentável as florestas, combater a desertificação, deter e reverter a degradação da Terra e deter a perda da biodiversidade.

Learning Goals

To transmit the knowledge of the importance of parasites, their life cycle, and about their survival strategies that translates into the ability to adapt and acquire resistance. To make known the helminth concept and its importance, concerning the morphobiology, and eco-epidemiology of the most common helminths of the Nematoda, Cestoda, Trematoda and Acantocephala Classes, in their dynamics with domestic and non-domestic animals and humans. To understand these relationships from the perspective of the parasite (helminth), as an etiological basis of the processes required for the UC Parasitic Diseases and other scientific sub-areas of Animal and Public Health, Food Safety Production. To develop skills for understanding and implementing laboratory techniques, as well as other helminthological in vivo and ex vivo diagnostic tools. To develop skills for interpreting the results obtained.

Theoretical: The phenomenon of parasitism - definition of parasite, specificity of parasites and their relationship with hosts, types of parasitism, biological cycles, types of host, modes of infection, exit and dissemination of parasites, reactions of the host organism towards the parasite, parasite adaptation, survival strategies of parasite populations.
Taxonomy and Systematic Rules.
Introduction to Helminthology. Study in the specialty of parasites representing Families of the Nematoda, Trematoda, Cestoda and Acantocephala Classes, with importance in Veterinary Medicine and Public Health.
Practice: Laboratory diagnosis - Collection, conservation, and transport methods and laboratory processing of blood, faeces and environment samples to identify parasite forms. Microscopic identification of adult helminth specimens. Partial or total parasitological necropsies. Relationships between laboratorial and clinic diagnostic approaches.

Teaching Methods

Teaching includes a theoretical and a practical component. Theoretical: structured exhibition based on audiovisual media, for a better understanding of life cycles, morphobiology and eco-epidemiology of parasitic specimens. Stimulating critical thinking in understanding the parasite / host relationship.
Practice: Microscopic identification of species representing genera and species with importance in Veterinary Medicine. Laboratory exercise through the collection of, execution of in vivo and ex vivo diagnostic techniques and interpretation of results.
Assessment: Theoretical - two written tests of equal weight, carried out during the academic period or final exam, minimum score 9.5 val. Practice - final laboratory examination, consisting of the identification of two parasitic specimens and the execution of a diagnostic technique and necessary interpretation. The final evaluation is the result of the average between the practical component (50%) and the theoretical component (50%).