Dengue, Yellow Fever and other Mosquito-borne Arboviruses

Objectives

At the end of this module, students should be able to contribute to research or to plan interventions to control this group of diseases. Specifically they should be able to:
1. Appraise epidemiologic data on arboviral diseases (geographic distribution, reservoirs and vectors of the major arboviruses, including: Chikungunya, Dengue, Japanese Encephalitis, West Nile virus and Rift Valley Fever arboviruses).
2. Assess the importance of environmental change on mosquito-vector populations.
3. Explain the risks of introducing exotic species of mosquitos.
4. Appraise the applicability of different vector collection methods and diagnosis techniques in different epidemiological logistic and organizational contexts.
5. Design and discuss surveillance and control strategies to this group of diseases.

General characterization

Code

1290025

Credits

Responsible teacher

Carla Sousa

Hours

Weekly - Se a UC for oferecida como opcional, o horário será disponibilizado no 2º semestre

Total - 32

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

Not applicable

Bibliography

• Strauss JH, Strauss EG (2008). Basic Virology. Blackwell Publishing. Malden. MA.
• Manson's Tropical Diseases: Expert Consult Basic; Gordon C. Cook ed., Saunders Ltd. Edinburg. UK.
• Wernsdorfer WH (1988). Malaria. Principles and practice of malariology. Churchill Livingstone Inc. London. UK.
• Gubler DJ, Kuno G (eds) (1997) Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. CAB International. Wallingford, UK.
• Almeida APG et al. (2005). Bioecology and vectorial capacity of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Macao, China, in relation to dengue virus transmission. Journal of Medical Entomology 42: 419428.

Teaching method

Course will be composed by 4 theoretical lectures; 4 theoretical-practical classes where the demonstrative and active methods will be applied and by 4 practical classes that will take place in the laboratory and in the field where and active and interrogative methods will be applied. There will also be tutorial sessions to support self-study and preparation of written assignment

Evaluation method

• The note of an individual written paper, with about 2000 ± 200 words (except graphics and bibliography), to be carried out from an actual case study, based on data provided by the responsible teachers.
• The performance of students in practical classes assessed through small questionnaires.
• Any of the elements will be subject to a rating between 0 and 20 values. Students who score less than 10 in written work will be disapproved. The final classification will be obtained from the formula:
(written assignment) x 0.65 + (practical classes classification) x 0.35
• For the purpose of improvement of grade, or in case of disapproval, students will have to carry out an examination.
• The evaluation of the UC and its faculty will be carried out through an anonymous questionnaire of student satisfaction.

Subject matter

I. Arboviruses and arboviral diseases: definitions and types of disease transmission; major arboviral infections and their epidemiology.
II. Main arboviruses: classification, structure, genomic organization and replicative cycle.
III. Case study: Macau. Presentation of row data necessary for the elaboration of the written assignment.
IV. Mosquito vectors collection methods and specimens morphological identification.
V. Entomological parameters important for the epidemiology of an arboviral infection. Estimation of the Human blood index based on an ELISA (Enzyme Linked immunosorbent Assay).
VI. Arboviral diseases: a history of invasion and (re)emergence.
VII. Clinical aspects of arboviral diseases.
VIII. Laboratorial diagnosis of the major arboviral infections.
IX. Detection of Alphavirus by RT-PCR.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: