Veterinary Parasitology

It includes a series of knowledge that will serve as a basis for other disciplines that will be taught in subsequent courses, fundamentally in the Area of Animal Health and especially Parasitic Diseases I and II, Zoonoses and Public Health, Preventive Medicine and Health Police I and II.

The main objectives are:

- Acquire the basic concepts that make up Parasitology and know the biological principles that govern the complex relationships established between parasites, their hosts and the environment.

- Know the scientific terms used in Veterinary Parasitology.

- Assess the importance of the presence and action of parasites on host species, including man.

- Recognize and differentiate the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of the parasitic agents affecting animals, and, knowing what taxa belong to the various parasites under study.

- Study the biological cycles of the main parasites that affect animals and humans (zoonosis).

- Determine the ability of the laboratory in the identification of parasitic agents and the limitations in the comprehensive diagnosis of parasitic infections.

- Manage the main bibliographical sources for the student to complete the study of Veterinary Parasitology.

1. Expositive classes:

Block I. General Part. 6 hours
- History of Parasitology: The formation of Parasitology at the Degree in Veterinary Medicine (DVM).
-The parasitism in the context of biological associations.
- Parasite relations / host.
- Spread of parasites.
- Parasitic ecology.
- Systematics, taxonomy and nomenclature in parasitology.

Block II. Protozoa. 8 hours
- General characteristics: morphology, physiology and biological biochemistry. Cycles and special features of the main protozoa of veterinary interest: SARCOMASTIGOPHORA, APICOMPLEXA. CILIOPHORA, MICROSPORIDIA and MIXOSPORIDIA.

Block III. Trematodes. 3 hours
- General characteristics: morphology, physiology and biochemistry. Biological cycles and special features of the main veterinary interest flukes: MONOGENEA. DIGENEA.

Block IV. Cestodes. 2 hours
- General characteristics: morphology, physiology and biochemistry. Biological cycles and special features of the main Cestodes of veterinary interest: PSEUDOFILIDEOS. CYCLOPHYLLIDEOS.

Block V. Nematodes. 8 hours
- General characteristics: morphology, physiology and biochemistry. Biological cycles and special features of the major nematodes of veterinary interest. ADENOPHOREA CLASS: ORDER ENOPLIDA. SECERNENTEA CLASS: ORDERS SPIRURIDA, FILARIA, RHABDITIDA, STRONGYLES, ASCARIDIA, OXYURA.

Block VI. Acanthocephali and Pentastomids. 1 hour
- General characteristics: morphological, physiological and biochemical. Cycles. Modes of transmission.

Block VII. Arthropods. 7 hours
- General characteristics: morphology, physiology and biochemistry. Nutritional aspects and players. Immune based responses against arthropod pests. Role of arthropod vector. Classification of arthropods of veterinary interest.
- Biological cycles of CLASS INSECTA: ORDENES HETEROPTERA, PHTHIRAPTERA, APHANIPTERA and DIPTERA (with special attention to myiasis producers).
- Biological cycles of CLASS ARACHNIDA: ORDERS ACARINA: SUBORDERS METASTIGMATA, MESOSTIGMATA, PROSTIGMATA y ASTIGMATA.
- General characteristics and biological cycles of the CLASS CRUSTACEA: SUBCLASES BRANCHYURA, COPEPODA and ISOPODA.

Each theme will be presented during one lecture; however, some themes, due to their importance, may require more than one lecture.

2. Interactive classes:

Including the identification of major arthropods, nematodes, cestodes, trematodes and protozoa of veterinary interest.

Six practices will be carried out:

- Practice 1: Protozoos. 4 hours. Lab1 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
- Practice 2: Cestodos y Trematodos. 4 hours. Lab2 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 3: Nematodos I. 3 hours. Lab3 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 4: Nematodos II. 3 hours. Lab4 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 5: Acantocéfalos, Pentastómidos y Artrópodos I. 3 hours. Lab5 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 6: Artrópodos II. 3 hours. Lab6 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

3. Seminars:

Students must attend 4 hours of seminar. S1 (G1, 2, 3, 4); S2 (G1, 2, 3, 4,); S3 (G1, 2, 3, 4) and S4 (G1, 2, 3, 4).
In them, special emphasis will be placed on the main biological cycles of parasites of importance in Veterinary Medicine, while at the same time the basic concepts that students must know to pass the subject will be emphasized.

Basic:
- BOWMAN, D. D. (2011). Georgis. Parasitología para veterinarios. Elsevier España, Madrid, España. (9ª ED.).
- CORDERO, M. y ROJO, F. A. (2010). Parasitología General. McGraw-Hill Interamericana de España, S.L., Madrid, España. (1ª ED.).
- DEPLAZES, P.; ECKERT. J.; MATHIS, A.; SAMSON-HIMMELSTJERNA, G.; ZAHNER, H. (2016). Parasitology in Veterinary Medicine. Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.
- GÁLLEGO BERENGUER, J. (2003). Manual de Parasitología. Morfología y biología de los parásitos de interés sanitario. Publicacions i Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. (2ª ED.).
- KAUFMANN, J. (1996). Parasitic infections of domestic animals. Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland.
- MEHLHORN, H. y PIEKARSKI, G. (1993). Fundamentos de Parasitología. Parásitos del hombre y de los animales domésticos. Acribia S.A., Zaragoza, España.
- TAYLOR, M. A.; COOP, R. L.; WALL. R. L. (2015). Veterinary Parasitology. Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, Iowa, USA. (4ª ED.).
- URQUHART, G. M.; ARMOUR J.; DUNCAN, J. L.; DUNN, A. M.; JENNINGS, F. W. (2001). Parasitología Veterinaria. Acribia S.A., Zaragoza, España. (2ª ED.).

Complementary:
- BEUGNET, F.; HALOS, L.; GUILLOT, J. (2018). Textbook of clinical parasitology in dogs and cats. Servet Editions, Zaragoza, Spain.
- CORDERO, M. y ROJO, F. A. (1999). Parasitología Veterinaria. McGraw-Hill Interamericana de España, S.L., Madrid, España. (1ª ED.).
- HENDRIX, CH. M. (1999). Diagnóstico parasitológico veterinario. Harcourt Brace. Madrid, España. (2ª ED.).
- KASSAI, T. (2002). Helmintología Veterinaria. Acribia. S.A., Zaragoza, España. (1ª ED.).
- THIENPONT, D.; ROCHETTE, F.; VANPARIJS, O. F. J. (1979). Diagnostic de vermose par examen coprologique. Janssen Research Foundation, Beerse, Belgique.
- TAIRA, N.; ANDO, Y.; WILLIAMS, J. C. (2003). A color atlas of clinical Helminthology of domestic animals. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.


Main internet pages:

- https://thelifetree.com/pages/parasite-picture-gallery2
- http://www.parasite.org.au/
- http://www.parasitologyindia.org/
- http://www1.udel.edu/mls/dlehman/medt372/
- https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/about.html
- https://www.esccap.org/
- https://shire.science.uq.edu.au/parasites/index.php
- https://www.ncvetp.org/
- https://www.veterinaryparasitology.com/
- https://parasitxpert.es/
- https://parasitipedia.net/

- Identification of the various stages of development of the parasites that affect farm animals and pets as well as the cause of zoonoses is the responsibility of Degree in Veterinary Medicine. Moreover, the interactive sessions developed in the laboratory the student will acquire specific skills in managing optical teams.

- Students should acquire the following SKILLS:

- GENERAL: From general competencies outlined in the White Book for the Degree in Veterinary Medicine and specifically indicated to be developed in this subject, student must acquire the following skills:

- GVUSC01. Ability to learn and adapt.

- GVUSC02. Capacity for analysis and synthesis.

- GVUSC03. General knowledge of the work área.

- GVUSC06. Ability to work independently and in team.

- DISCIPLINARY
- CEDVUSC06. Knowing the basics of various biological agents of veterinary interest.

- ACADEMIC:
- CEAVUSC 04. Search and manage information relating to veterinary activity.

- CEAVUSC 06. Knowing how to find professional help and advice.

- CEAVUSC 08. Being aware of the need to keep knowledge, skills and attitudes of professional skills through a process of lifelong learning.

- TRANSVERSES:
- CTVUSC 02. Ability to obtain adequate, diverse and updated by various means, such as bibliographic information and the Internet, and analyze it critically.

- CTVUSC 03. Prepare and present organized and understandable text.

The expositive classes will be face-to-face and will last approximately 50 minutes, according to the schedule approved by the Xunta de Facultade.
The program is ordered by topic, but this does not mean that each of them corresponds exactly in time to the duration of a class.
- The following hours of exhibition sessions will be dedicated to each of the thematic blocks:
- Block I. General Part: 6 hours
- Block II. Protozoa: 8 hours
- Block III. Trematodes: 3 hours
- Block IV. Cestodes: 2 hours
- Block V. Nematodes: 8 hours
- Block VI. Acanthocephali and Pentastomids: 1 hour
- Block VII. Arthropods: 7 hours

The schemes of the expositive and interactive classes will be available on the Virtual Campus.
Attendance will be taken into account as a scale that indicates the degree of interest of the student.
The interactive or practical classes will be face-to-face and 20 hours of practical sessions will be given in groups of 20 students. In the Parasitology laboratory there will be 6 regulated sessions.

The 6 practices will have a duration of:
- Practice 1: Protozoa. 4 hours. Lab1 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 2: Cestodes and Trematodes. 4 hours. Lab2 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 3: Nematodes I. 3 hours. Lab3 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 4: Nematodos II. 3 hours. Lab4 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 5: Acanthocephali, Pentastomids and Arthropods I. 3 hours. Lab5 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Practice 6: Arthropods II. 3 hours. Lab6 (G1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

At the end of the 6 practices and before the practical exam, students will deliver the report of practices, through the activities forum of the Virtual Campus.

SEMINARS:
They will be taught in groups of 30 students. S1 (G1, 2, 3, 4); S2 (G1, 2, 3, 4,); S3 (G1, 2, 3, 4); S4 (G1, 2, 3, 4).
During the course, students must attend four hours of seminar and in them special emphasis will be placed on the main biological cycles of parasites of importance in Veterinary Medicine, while emphasizing the basic concepts that students must know to pass the subject.
In these seminars the participation of the student will be valued and will serve for the teachers to value the knowledge and skills that the students are acquiring.

TUTORIES (T1, G1-G7)
- The first tutoring will be face-to-face with all the students, in which the operating rules of the subject will be given, explaining the importance of attending the lectures, practices, seminars and tutorials. The bases for the evaluation that will allow passing the subject will also be exposed. However, the teachers will be in their respective offices throughout the course to help students to better understand this subject. Students should contact, previously by email, the teachers to arrange the tutoring time, in order to resolve the doubts that arose in the preparation of the discipline.

For the final assessment of the students, the following will be done:

- During the expositive sessions, written and oral questions will be asked. The obtained score will suppose 10% of the final grade.Throughout the theoretical lectures the following written questions (p) will be asked from the blocks: General (1 p), Protozoa (1 p), Cestodes and Trematodes (1p), Nematodes (2 p), Arthropods (2p).

- Assessment of interactive or practical classes: the active participation of the student in said sessions will be valued; as well as the memory of each of the practices that they must carry out. The preparation of the memory will be assessed with 5%.

- A recognition exam will be carried out using projected images of 20 parasitic forms that have been seen during the practical sessions. It will be passed with a minimum of 15 recognized images. This test will be face-to-face and the score obtained will represent 15% of the final grade.

- Students who pass the practices (attendance, memory and exam) will keep the pass in subsequent courses, exempting them from taking this part in subsequent courses. However, students who have not passed the whole subject, the next course must attend the theoretical classes and take the corresponding assessment tests.

- Final theoretical assessment: there will be a final face-to-face test by formulating 8 development questions, which will correspond:
- 1 of thematic block I (General).
- 2 of thematic block II (Protozoa).
- 1 of thematic block III (Trematodes) or of thematic block IV (Cestodes).
- 2 of thematic block V (Nematodes).
- 2 of thematic blocks VI and VII (Acanthocephali / Pentastomids and Arthropods).

Each question will be scored out of a maximum of 10 points. To pass this test, the average minimum mark must be 5 out of 10. In the questions in each of the blocks, it is necessary to obtain a minimum score of 3 points to compensate with the rest of the scores obtained in this test. The obtained score will suppose 70% of the final grade. The remaining 30% will correspond to 10% of the continuous evaluation of the expository classes and 20% of the interactive classes, so the continuous evaluation will suppose 30% of the final grade.

- The final theoretical assessment will be carried out after the correction of the theoretical exam; the evaluation of the practical classes will be done after the evaluation of the report and the practical exam and, logically, the continuous evaluation will be done throughout the course.

- On the basis of Instruction No. 1/2017 of the Secretary-General in this subject, no dispensation is granted, because assistance to all activities is required in person.

- The qualification of the practical exam will be kept for subsequent courses, so that students who pass this exam will not have to retake the exam or attend the practical lessons.

- For cases of fraudulent elaboration of exercises or tasks, the provisions of the Regulations for the evaluation of students’ academic performance and the review of qualifications will apply.

Hours: 60 h (35h exhibition; 20 hours of laboratory, 4 h and 1 h of seminars tutoring).

Non-contact hours: 90 h (Study individual, 60 h; practice report development, 20 h; bibliographic searches, 7 h; exams 3 h)

Total workload: 150 hours

- Experience in the years we have devoted to the teaching of this subject leads us to recommend students continued study of matter and make outlines and summaries to help them compare features of different parasitic groups and different possible biological cycles. This will help to consolidate knowledge and avoid the confusions that arise when trying to memorize the subject with the only aim of passing the final exam.

- Is essential to follow the practice sessions and the development of a notebook, to have direct knowledge about the different groups and species of parasites, and their respective stages of development. This teaching involves the direct participation of the student means the consolidation of theoretical notions.

- We recommend visiting the various websites listed in the bibliography, in order to complete the knowledge and to extract material for the realization of personal work.

- It is also recommended that students raised the doubts that often arise and use the tutorials for teachers responsible for this activity to be positive and complement their training.