Course Description
The lab portion of this course will supplement the lecture by providing a hands-on, skills-based practicum in the identification of parasites responsible for diseases in domestic animals, humans, and wildlife in the face of global climate change. Students will learn a variety of parasitological techniques and navigate dichotomous keys to identify key features of specimens discussed in the lecture.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students enrolled in the course may be required to complete one or more of the following:
1) An independent collection of locally sourced parasites, fixed and prepared for laboratory reference.
2) A short written summary on a specific species, changing ranges, and novel hosts as a result of climate change.
3) A small scale molecular and phylogenetic investigation of a focal group of parasites.
Athena Title
Comparative Parasitology Lab
Prerequisite
[(BIOL 1103 or BIOL 1103E or BIOL 2103H) and BIOL 1103L] or [(BIOL 1107 or BIOL 1107E or BIOL 2107H) and BIOL 1107L]
Corequisite
POPH 4000/6000
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The course will provide a sound parasitological foundation for students who wish to pursue a career in wildlife diseases, veterinary medicine, and medical or related academic fields. Students will: (1) know fundamental concepts of parasitology and the technical vocabulary used in parasitology. (2) identify common parasite taxa based on morphological, biological, clinical, and geographic criteria, and the diseases they cause across a variety of hosts. (3) understand the host body as a home to parasites in terms of portals of entry and exit, sites occupied by parasites, potential immune responses, and immune system evasion strategies. (4) appreciate the complexity of parasite life-cycles and transmission strategies, as well as parasite-mediated behavior. (5) hone critical thinking skills by applying fact-based knowledge of parasites to scenarios involving infection diagnosis and prevention. (6) evaluate historical versus current distributions of parasites and hosts (or novel hosts) as a result of a changing global climate.
Topical Outline
- Intro Remarks; Terminology; Symbioses - Epidemiology, immunology, types of hosts; types of parasites - Kinetoplastida (trypanosomes and leishmanias) - Trichomonads, Giardia, and related forms - The Amoebas; amoebic dysentery, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis - Gregarines and coccidians (including toxoplasmosis) - Malaria; history, “falciparum” v. “vivax” diagnosis, pathology, transmission, economic impact, control - Other blood pathogens (piroplasms, hemogregarines, leucocytozoons) - Ciliates - Intro To Flatworms; monogeneans - Continue monogeneans and aspidogastreans - Digenetic trematodes - Digenetic trematodes (with emphasis on schistosomiasis) - Monozoic tapeworms - Polyzoic tapeworms of “cold-blooded” hosts - Polyzoic tapeworms of “warm-blooded” animals - Intro to Pseudocoelomates; the acanthocephalans - The Nematodes; intro and diagnostic features - Trichurids (whipworms), dioctophymids, capillarids and “trichinosis” - Rhabditids and strongyles (emphasis on horse strongyles) - Hookworms (of both human and animals of veterinary importance) - Ascarids (humans; ascariasis, anisakiasis) - Ascarids (other than human); visceral larval migrans - Filarial worms (emphasis on “onchocerciasis” or river blindness) - Filarial worms (emphasis on “elephantiasis” and dog heartworm) - African Guinea worm; camallanids, spiurids, dracunculids
Syllabus