Course Title: Pathogenesis of Enteric Infections

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Pathogenesis of Enteric Infections

Credit Points: 24.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
ONPS1057	City Campus	Postgraduate	135H Applied Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2011, Sem 1 2013

Course Coordinator: Dr Anna Walduck

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7145

Course Coordinator Email: anna.walduck@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 223.1.34

Course Coordinator Availability: Mondays usually in city, other days usually at Bundoora. Please make appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Microbiology to 3rd year level

Medical Microbiology 1 and 2  must be done as pre- or co-requisites

Course Description

This course covers the main bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract of humans, with an emphasis on pathogenic mechanisms and how bacterial virulence and transmission mechanisms relate to disease manifestations, preventive measures, diagnostic modalities and treatment.

It extends the student’s understanding, of virulence mechanisms of microbial pathogens, epidemiology, laboratory diagnosis and control of infectious diseases using infections of the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals as a model; enhances student’s technical and interpretive skills in clinical microbiology; enhances scientific communications skills, particularly critical evaluation of the literature, and scientific writing.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Understanding of microbial pathogenesis with particular references to gastrointestinal infections, critical review of microbiological literature, oral and written presentation, working in groups to solve a problem,  interpretation of microbiological data especially that related to diagnosis of infections of the gastrointestinal tract. 

AIMS
To extend the student’s understanding and appreciation of interactions between microorganisms and parasites; antimicrobial agents and microbial resistance; characteristics of viruses, medically-important fungi, pathogenesis and diagnosis of viral infections; infections of the skin and respiratory tract;

This course is intended to develop students capabilities in the following areas:
knowledge capability -microbial pathogenesis,with particular reference to gastrointestinal infections,  understanding recent developments in the field
technical capability in handling, examining, isolating and identifying microbes, designing appropriate strategies for complex diagnostic problems, interpreting microbiological data
communication skills in working groups in laboratory exercises, presenting material for laboratory reports and participating in class discussions,
professional work practices in learning to consider diagnostics in terms of issues such as cost effectiveness, workflow and compliance with regulatory requirements, patient confidentiality
reflective capability -in answering case studies or quizzes,in developing skills to evaluate, and theorise about developments in the field
research capability -critical analysis of scientific literature, problem solving, in participating in problem-based laboratory exercises, evaluate epidemiological data
and sustainable organisational management in understanding correct handling and disposal of biological materials and maintaining a high standard of ethics and consultation.

By the end of this course students should have acquired

1.An understanding at an advanced level of microbial virulence, using pathogenic mechanisms of enteric pathogens as a model, this will be asessed in written examination and assignemnts.

2.The technical skills and theoretical knowledge required make a laboratory diagnosis of the most important enteric infections of humans, to carefully observe, evaluate and report on laboratory findings. This will be asessed in laboratory reports, laboratory notebooks and participations in laboratory activities.

3.Advanced scientific communication skills, particularly critical review of literature, written review, oral presentation and small group interaction. This will be asessed in writtne repeorts and literature research tasks and class discusssions.

Overview of Learning Activities

Attendance at lectures, reading, discussing and answering questions  on papers in microbiology journals, practical classes with a case history approach, oral and written review of journal articles.

Overview of Learning Resources

Recommended textbooks, material presented at lectures and displayed on the course website, microbiology journal articles.

Overview of Assessment

Theory examination, practical report/s, oral and written review of microbiology literature, laboratory skills and recording, practical examination.