Basic principles of microbiology
Morphology and structure of the bacterial cell
Structure of bacterial spores and sporulation process
Gram stain and staining for acid resistance
Metabolism, growth and bacterial replication
Sterilization, disinfection, asepsis
Structure, replication and mechanisms of pathogenicity of fungi
Morphology of viral particles
Cell tropism and host spectrum
Viral enzymes
Classification of viruses
Stages of viral replication
Basic concepts of immune response:
Host natural immune response
Immune acquired humoral response
Cell-mediated acquired immune response
Immune responses against infectious agents
Interferon action mechanisms
Vaccines and passive immunoprofilaxis
Mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis
Demonstration of causal nature between pathogen and disease: Koch postulates
Normal microbial flora of our organism
"Host-microorganism" interactions: Commensalism -Mutualism - Parasitism
Factors that influence the "host -microrganism" balance
Mode of transmission of the infection
Stages of the infectious process
Factors of bacterial virulence
Mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and of interaction with the host:
Transmission mode
Stages of the infectious process
Localized and disseminated infection
State of persistence and latency
Viral oncogenesis
Cytopathic effect induced by viruses
Expression of genes and / or cellular proteins
Viral and Bacterial infections
Respiratory infections
Gastrointestinal infections
Genital infections
Infections of the nervous system
Zoonoses

Title: The basics of Microbiology
Authors: Richard A. Harvey, Pamela C. Champe Bruce D. Fisher

 Public Health and Preventive Medicine definition and goals
 Determinants of health; health promotion; health education; genetic and environmental factors of disease.

 Introduction to epidemiology
 Demography and bio-statistical principles and analysis of more important health indicators (e.g. birth rate, mortality rate, infant mortality, etc.); absolute and relative risk. Epidemiology of infectious disease, epidemiology of chronic disease.

 Primary, secondary and tertiary Prevention
 Definition, timing and tools

 Natural history and spectrum of infectious disease
 More important infectious disease and their spread (epidemic, pandemic and cluster); direct, indirect and specific prophylaxis; infectious risk: cause, transmission, preventive measure; chemical and physical cleaning, disinfection, sterilization.

 Vaccine: indications, contraindications and preventive measure
 Vaccine, history and perspectives; different type of immunity; different type of immunization; vaccine schedule.

 Environment and health
 Climate changes, micro-climate and water; prevention of biological risk; health protection and safety of health workers

 Food Hygiene and food-borne outbreaks
 Human nutrition; food education; food control; Hygiene and prevention in collective catering (HACCP system);

 Principles of Public Health applied to the Hospital setting
 Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) – definition, epidemiology and prevention; Sanitization, disinfection, sterilization and disinfestation; Waste management in the hospital; Prevention and quality system aimed to ensure patient safety in the hospital (Services based on international gold standards and regulations in healthcare – JCI accreditation).

Slides and materials provided by course professor

General parasitology
Systemic and zoologic nomenclature. Biological associations. Life cycles. Parasitc specificity.Host-parasite interactions and patological effect of parasites.Parasitic diseases of medical importance. Prevention of parasitc diseases. Semantics of human parasites. Special parasitology. Protozoa as human parasites. Cestodes,trematodes and nematodes human parasites.Athropodes parasites and main vectors of human parasitosis

Slides and materials provided by course professor

Culture media: preparation, growth factors, sowing
Sterilization
Biochemical identification of microorganisms
Susceptibility to Antibiotics
Blood culture, urine culture colors
Other methods: agglutination, precipitation, immunofluorescence, etc.


Virology:

Laboratory medicine: evolution of virological diagnosis techniques.
Real-time PCR: basic principles and technical aspects.
Application of real-time PCR in the virological field.
Importance of quantitative real-time dosages in the virological field
Examples of case reports in the validation of the analytical data

Slides and materials provided by course professor