Veterinary Bacteriology

Duration

24h Th, 10h Pr, 2h Mon. WS

Number of credits

Lecturer

Jacques Mainil

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 "Veterinary Bacteriology" of 3rd BAC is subdivided into two parts. The purpose of the first part is to present the properties of bacteria in general: architecture, metabolism, growth and cell division. The second part begins with an introduction to the classification of bacteria and describes the commensal flora, the virulence properties of pathogenic bacteria, as well as the different therapeutic and prophylactic tools against bacterial pathogens. Until last year the classification of the pathogenic bacteria of domestic animals and of the most important bacterial species in food microbiology and food science was described. This chapter is not more presented since the academic year 2014-2015, though the Ppt slides will still be communicated to the students. 
The practicals help the students to realise how a routine laboratory of bacterial diagnosis works in veterinary medicine. The practicals are closely linked to the ex-cathedra lectures.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

Description of the infectious agents (or microbes) that the bacteria are, in general, in animal health and in public health, and of the physico-chemical and biological tools important in the fight against bacterial pathogens. Introduction of the students to the routine diagnosis in laboratories, so that he/she can understand during the final three years of study and during his/her professional life the work performed in these routine diagnostic laboratories.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Basic knowledge of eucaryote cytology and biochemistry.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The lectures comprise 24h ex-cathedra with a PwPt presentation with an on-line acess on eCampus (with the exception of the ilustrations). When possible, examples from the veterinary field are presented to complete the information.
The laboratory sessions comprise 10 h of practicals (TP) and 2 hours of seminars (TD) during te practicals. These laboratory sessions introduce the procedure of a diagnostic laboratory. 
During the practicals (4h on Monday, 4h on Tuesday, 2h on  Thursday, and 2h on Friday aternoons), the students are demonstrated and perform themselves the different steps in a bacterial diagnosis: sampling, inoculation onto agar plates, staining, identification, antibiotic sensitivity, interpretation and answer to the practitioner. The precise content of each afternoon is adapted each year in function of the number of students present. Prerequisites are the following: staining, biotype/serotype/lysotype/pathotype, virulence (overview), antibiotics/antiseptics/disinfectants and heat disinfection, and systematic (genders and species worked with during the practicals). The timing is communicated to the students at the beginning of the academic year. 
The students are continuously assessed during the week (general and specific behavior). Moreover, at the beginning their first lab session, the students must answer a list of QCM questions on the pre-requisites. During the whole week, the students are invited (i) to fill in on-line (eCampus) a report to present the realization and the understanding of the manipulations and (ii) to ask any question about the lectures and the practicals to the assistant professors, to prepare the practical interrogation of the Friday.
NB: In case of necessity (another day off during the week for instance), one session of practicals will be organized during the Wednesday afternoon of the same week, in order to maintain an acceptable timetable for everybody.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

The 24h of ex-cathedra lectures take place in presence of the students in one lecture room. The laboratory sessions (TP and TD) are organized in smaller groups of students (maximu 30) in one room dedicated only to bacteriological practicals. This room is classified bisecurity level 2: it is therefore strictly FORBIDDEN to eat or to drink and students MUST wear a CLEAN personal lab coat.
ATTENTION: presence during the TP/TD is compulsory. Any non-justified absence (with an official document) automatically means failure in June. If the student does not contact the person in charge of the organization of the TP/TD, this unjustified absence may even mean failure in September and for the year for the Bacteriology course.
All lectures, TP and TD will be finished during the first quadrimestre, so that the exam can be planned in January. The lectures will be given during September and October; the TP and TD, from October to December.

Recommended or required readings

The students' notes (lectires + practicals) are available on eCampus as are the Power Point presentations (without the figures). The students' notes are adapted each year.
Reference books (present in the library or the laboratory) :
- Veterinary Microbiology and Microbial Disease. 2nd Edition. Quinn P.J. et al. Wiley Blackwell, UK. ISBN 978-1-4051-5823-7, 2011.
- Introduction à la microbiologie. Tortora G.J., Funke B.R., Case C.L. (adaptation française de Martin L.). ERPI, Canada. ISBN 2 7613 1345 3, 2003.
- Veterinary Microbiology. 2nd Edition. Hirsh D.C., MacLachlan N.J., Walker R.L., Blackwell Science, USA. ISBN 0 8138 0379 9, 2004.
- Color atlas of medical microbiology. de la Maza L.M., Pezzlo M.T., Shigei J.T., Peterson E.M. ASM Press, USA. ISBN 1 55581 206 6, 2004.
- Microbe. Schaechter M., Ingraham J.L., Neidhardt F.C. ASM Press, USA. ISBN 1 55581 320 8, 2006.
- Antibiogramme. Courvalin P., Leclercq R., Bingen E (Eds). 2ème Edition. Editions ESKA, France. ISBN 2 7472 0907 5, 2006.
- Microbiologie technique. Tome 1. Dictionnaire des techniques. Joffin J-N., Leyral G. 4ème Edition. Centre régional de documentation pédagogique d'Aquitaine, France. ISBN 2 86617 515 8, 2006

Assessment methods and criteria

In 2016-2017, the assessment will be as follows during the TWO sessions:
- Practicals (25% of the final mark): theoritical interrogation (QCM) on the prerequisites; theoritical and practical interrogations on the Friday; continuous assessment during the whole week. If >10, the final note of the practicals counts for both 1st and 2nd sessions, but not if the student must repeat the year. If the note is under 10, the student must pass again the interrogations during the second session of exams.
- Theory (75% of the final mark) during session. The format of the theoritical exam of the second session exam will be identical to the format of the first session exam.
(a) a multiple choice questionnary (QCM): 20 to 30 questions (25%) with correct answer +1, wrong answer -0,5, no answer 0; on the contents of the lectures and of the practicals.
(b) a short-answer-questionnary (QROC): 20 to 30 questions (25%) with correct answer +1, wrong answer -0,25, no answer 0; on the contents of the lectures and of the practicals;
(c) one long open-answer-questions (QROL) (25%) starting from one laboratory report, with several "sub-questions" about the properties of the bacterial species reported concerning different sub-chapters of the lectures.
Reminder: any unjustified absence at the TP/TD during the year means refusal to present the theoritical exam.

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

For pedagogy reasons, this course needs pre-requisites before being chosen.

Contacts

Jacques Mainil (Full Professor) Coordinator of the lectures and of the practicals E-mail : JG.Mainil@ulg.ac.be, Phone : 04/366 95 22
Dr Damien Thiry (Assistant Professor) Organisation and evaluation of the practicals E-mail: damien.thiry@ulg.ac.be  Phone : 04/366 93 88 
Jean-Noël Duprez (Qualified Technician) Organisation of the practicals E-mail: jean-noel.duprez@ulg.ac.be  Phone : 04/366 40 52