Study Programmes 2016-2017
VETE0456-2  
Veterinary parasitology and mycology
Duration :
24h Th, 8h Pr
Number of credits :
Bachelor in veterinary medicine4
Lecturer :
Bernard Mignon
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents :
The course is dealing with all the biological groups of eucaryotic organisms potentially responsible for different diseases in domesticated and wild animals but also for some zoonoses, i.e. the fungi, the protozoa, the helminths and the arthropods, all of these being named "parasites" below. For each biological group, the systematics, morphology, biology, physiology and some biochemical and immunological aspects of host-parasite relationship are described successively. For each group, some examples are developed in detail during the lectures and are illustrated mainly with Power Point presentations and/or videos. The course is primarily intended to provide an overview on the different biological groups of parasites, which is an indispensable basis for further study of parasitic and fungal diseases.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit :
At the end of the training, the student will be able to:
- describe and reproduce the morphological and biological characteristics of the parasites having been studied, having incorporated the common characteristics in the different biological groups of parasites,
- understand and explain the complex relationships between these parasites, their hosts et the environment,
- identify and recognize the parasites and their structures in macro- and microscopic preparations, including in organ and tissue samples, fluids and excreta,
- apply his/her knowledge on biological parasitic groups in the study of new parasites present in different bioclimatic areas,
- analyze a scientific text dealing with parasite biology in the broad sense,
- approach the further study of the parasitic and fungal diseases.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Fundamental knowledge in general biology, cell biology, biochemistry, histology, physiology, immunology, genetics and anatomy is necessary.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
The course of veterinary Parasitology and Mycology consists in
- Ex cathedra lectures in amphitheater, adorned with questions/answers and discussions on issues from the real working life, dedicated to integration and use of the knowledge to solve a practical problem,
- Practical work (see detail below),
- Scientific documents (see below "Recommended or required readings") provided by the teacher early in the year, to be read independently by the student who is then invited to ask questions to the professor face-to-face during breaks, the practical sessions or by appointment,
- if materiel constraints permit, a facultative online formative MCQ test with individual and group feedback; this test is offered to students at the end of the course, before the start of the studying and examination period. Thsis MCQ test is organized via e-Campus with the logistical support of IFRES. Access to the feedback in group is restricted to students having passed the test. Conditions of the test are available via e-Campus before its completion.
- if materiel constraints permit, a multiple-choice self-assessment test online, optional, with individual feedback; this test is available to students during the Christmas session before the January examination, and is managed via e-Campus.
Practicals (8h/student) are dispensed at odds with the lectures as far as possible. They allow the student to observe the parasites of the relevant biological groups. They are not only an illustration of the theoretical course, but also a necessary complement to be integrated into the learning of veterinary Parasitology and Mycology. Practicals are dispensed in groups of maximum 60 students in a microscopy room, with face-to-face assistants and/or scientific collaborators. Each session lasts 2 hours. It begins by a short PowerPoint presentation illustrating parasites and parasitic structures to be identified on macro- and microscopic preparations. The student works alone on the basis of different learning materials (lectures, practical's syllabus, Veterinary Parasitology illustrated CD-Rom). The professor and/or the assistants and/or the scientific collaborators are available to help the student in his/her approach. To maximize his/her learning during the practicals, it is recommended to the the student to have completed the lectures and prepared the practical sessions by consulting the different educational available materials.
Attendance at practicals is compulsory. Any absence must be justified by a medical certificate in proper form and reported as soon as possible to the head of the lab electronically (tpparasito@ulg.ac.be(tpparasito@yahoo.fr). Access to the final examination will not be allowed to students who have a non-justified absence to the practicals.)
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
The lectures and the practicals are dispensed face-to-face.
Recommended or required readings :
Course notes consist of slides (texts, pictures,tables and figures projected during lectures and during practicals). These Powerpoint notes are available on eCampus. They consist of a basis that must be completed by information given during lectures and practicals. An illustrated CDRom dedicated to Veterinary Parasitology in temperate regions is available and can be bought at the secretariat. One or more scientific papers (original article, review, position paper, news article ...) related to the course will be provided during the year. They must be read in order to develop the capacity for understanding and analyzing information related to the subject taught. Information about professor's expectations will be provided during lectures. The final examination may include one or more questions on these texts. Reference books (that can be consulted):
Parasitology in Veterinary Medicine. Peter Deplazes, Johannes Eckert, Alexander Mathis, Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna and Horst Zahner. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2016. ISBN: 978-90-8686-274-0. Veterinary Parasitology. 4th Edition. M.A. Taylor, R.L. Coop, R.L. Wall, Eds. 2016, Oxford, Wiley Blackwell Publishing. ISBN: 978-0-470-67162-7.
Essentials of Veterinary Parasitology. H.M. Elsheikha, N.A. Khan, Eds. 2011, Norfolk, Caister Academic Press. ISBN: 978-1-904455-80-6.
Assessment methods and criteria :
The examination is indivisible. It includes a theoretical and a practical examination.
The theoretical examination (in January) is a written one and includes questions on all taught material (primarily lectures, scientific texts, practical sessions, course notes available on eCampus) written in the form of long assays and/or short assays and/or multiple choices and/or true-false and/or text with holes and/or association questions and/or texts analysis. It aims to evaluate the outcomes defined above, i.e. knowledge on the morphology/biology of parasites of different biological groups, understanding the relationship of the parasites with their hosts and the environment, and the student's capacity to apply his knowledge to a new context in veterinary Parasitology and Mycology. The points for each question are given to the student.
The second session theoretical examination is an oral one, unless material constraints cannot allow it. The examination starts with the written preparation of one or several randomly selected questions for 15 to 30 minutes. This preparation takes place in the wake of the practical examination. The actual examination consists of an interview of 15 to 30 minutes (depending on the year and contingencies) starting on the prepared questions and continuing with additional questions on other aspects of the course. The teacher's expectations and the spirit of the examination are identical to those prevailing in the first session. The knowledge of the life cycles of the main biological groups of parasites and of major parasites is mandatory. The attention of students is drawn to the fact that questions of the written first session theoretical examination can be asked during the second session theoretical examination. The practical examination consists in the identification of different parasites and parasitic structures with the naked eye, under the microscope and/or based on photographic documents.
For the first session, 80% and 20% of the final grade depend from the theoretical and the practical examination, respectively.
For the second session, a grade of 12/20 for the practicals is necessary to be successfull in the final examination. A grade equal or above 14/20 for the practicals allows to positively modulate the final grade.
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
The realization of photographs, videos or other audio-visual documents during courses is prohibited and will be sanctioned by a non access to the examination.
Late arrival to the theoritical course is not alloowed.
The student is invited to inform about teaching engagements concerning the courses of infectious and parasitic diseases (PID) VETE2069-1, VETE2070-1 et VETE2071-1, and especially the requirement to write a clinical case for which some data can be collected and analyzed in bloc3.
Contacts :
Lecturer: Prof. Bernard Mignon bmignon@ulg.ac.be
Assistant (Practicals): Dr Laetitia Lempereur tpparasito@ulg.ac.be(tpparasito@yahoo.fr )
Technician (Practicals): Françoise Maréchal fmarechal@ulg.ac.be Tél : 04/366 40 98
Scientific collaborator: Dr Céline Cavadino tpparasito@ulg.ac.be(tpparasito@yahoo.fr )
Tél : 04/366 40 98
Secretariat: Jessica Collard jcollard@ulg.ac.be Tél : 04/366 40 92 Fax : 04/366 40 97
Items online :
See eCampus and CD-Rom
Teaching and course materials on eCampus