An introduction to the study of the dynamics of disease in animal populations. Topics include the strategy of epidemiology, sampling techniques, data collection and analysis, hypothesis formulation and testing, and directed actions against disease in populations.
Covers basic aspects of humoral and cell-mediated immunity, the role of immunological reactions in infectious disease pathogenesis, hypersensitivity, and auto-immune disease. Students will study the principles of immunity to bacteria, viruses and parasites and the fundamentals of vaccination. Students will also be familiarized with diagnostic techniques for assessing the immune system and for diagnosis of immune-mediated diseases.
A case-based approach to veterinary virology. Cases from WCVM files and published literature supplemented by lectures on basic virology used to illustrate general principles of virus infection, replication, spread and control.
Provides basic knowledge of the common bacterial and fungal diseases of animals, with emphasis on those present in North America. Coverage of specific diseases/organisms include: distribution, epidemiology, mechanisms of pathogenesis, immunity, diagnosis, and prevention. Laboratory sessions emphasize the proper selection, collection and transportation of bacteriologic and fungal specimens. Basic processing of clinical/pathological specimens and identification of bacteria and fungal organisms commonly present in those specimens is offered.
Protozoan, helminth and arthropod parasites, including zoonoses of domestic and other animals will be studied. The course will cover aspects of life cycles, pathogenesis, diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment and prevention.
GRADUATE COURSESDepartment of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Graduate Studies & Research
A requisite for students in Veterinary Microbiology. Partly tutorial, but also consisting of assigned reviews of recent advances in selected areas of microbiology, including bacteriology, epidemiology, immunology, parasitology and virology. Discussions are student-driven and facilitated by individual faculty members with expertise in the areas of discussion. Training is also given in the interpretation of published scientific reports and in the writing of grant applications. A major part of the course comprises each student writing a full scale, mock CIHR application that addresses their proposed dissertation research.
A "hands-on" laboratory course designed to familiarize students with a wide variety of techniques in molecular biology: manipulation of DNA for cloning and analysis; detection of nucleic acids; sequencing of DNA; site directed mutagenesis, purification of recombinant proteins by immunological techniques; detection of rare nucleic acids by polymerase chain reaction. Students are given a gene for an "unknown" protein. They then proceed with a detailed characterization of the structure and function of the protein.
Lectures, seminars and exercises will be given on the epizootiology and control of infectious diseases of animal populations, with emphasis given to: techniques of collection of data and sampling; application of modern microbiological laboratory methods; analysis of data; and interpretation of results, as applied to epizootiological investigations.
Discusses virus genetics, mapping of virus genes, replication of virus components as well as the molecular aspects of virus-cell interactions as they relate to virus replication and cell death, virus persistence and transformation.
Devoted to the culture, biochemical reactions and identification of pathogenic, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and fungi from domestic, exotic and "alternate species" including birds. Emphasis will be on interpretation of findings in agreement with information gathered from clinical history/lesion(s) provided in different cases. Other responsibilities include familiarization with culture media; some new diagnostic techniques; completion by each student of 20-30 cases.