Neglected tropical diseases
Objectives
After this unit, students should be able to: 1. Describe the importance of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in international health, including their eco-geographic and social setting, epidemiology, biology and life cycles of pathogens. 2. Have knowledge of NTDs of vector or intermediate hosts transmission, the main groups of infectious agents, vectors and intermediate hosts. 3. Analyze and discuss: 3.1. the main challenges and up to date research topics on the diagnosis and treatment of NTDs; 3.2. the host-agent interaction, as well as susceptibility and/or resistance factors; 3.3. the importance of genomics for both infectious agents and populations of vectors and intermediate hosts; 3.4. the problem of resistances to insecticides in the control of NTDs transmitted by vectors.
General characterization
Code
5789016
Credits
2
Responsible teacher
Paulo Almeida
Hours
Weekly - Se a UC for oferecida como opcional, o horário será disponibilizado no 2º semestre
Total - 30
Teaching language
Portuguese
Prerequisites
Not applicable
Bibliography
• Barroso H, Meliço-Silvestre A, Taveira N (Eds). 2014. Microbiologia Médica (vol. 2). Lidel, Lisboa. • Buscaglia CA, Kissinger JC, Agüero F. Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Post-Genomic Era. Trends Genet. 2015 Oct;31(10):539-555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tig.2015.06.002 • Hunter's Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious Disease: Expert Consult - Online and Print by Alan J. Magill (ed) Saunders; 9 edition (November 28, 2012) ISBN-10: 141604390X. • Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases: Expert Consult Premium Edition - Enhanced Online Features and Print (Two Volume Set) by Gerald L. Mandell (ed) Churchill Livingstone; 7 edition (September 18, 2009) ISBN-10: 0443068399. • Manson's Tropical Diseases: Expert Consult, Gordon C. Cook, Alimuddin Zumla (ed) Saunders Ltd.; 22nd edition (December 10, 2008) ISBN-10: 1416044701. • Mangano VD, Modiano D 2014. Host genetics and parasitic infections. Clinical microbiology and infection, 20: 1265-1275. https://doi.org/10.1111/1469-0691.12793 • Rückert, C and Ebel, G D. 2018. How Do Virus–Mosquito Interactions Lead to Viral Emergence? Trends in Parasitology, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2017.12.004
Teaching method
Theoretical Teaching: Lectures by professors and researchers, on current research topics on the various subjects of NTDs, stimulating a participating discussion by students, and serving as a outline guide for students' autonomous work in the topics addressed; Tutorial: the previous lectures are followed by tutorials in which research papers or topics can be worked upon for discussion, or for the preparation of an essay and/or presentation.
Evaluation method
The assessment may take the form of a test, written and/or presented work.
Subject matter
I. Research applied to NTDs, whether of parasitic, bacterial or viral origin, whether transmitted by vectors, intermediate hosts, or not. II. Human host-parasite interaction: Individual susceptibility. III. Transmission and Control of NTDs caused by Protozoa: impact on low- and middle-income countries. IV. Current research in diagnosis, therapy and epidemiology in Leishmaniasis. V. Challenges in Helminthology research and diagnosis. VI. Sexually Transmitted Infections and NTDs: What connection? VII. Mycetoma: a singular neglected tropical disease. VIII. Genomics applied with special focus on neglected parasitic diseases. IX. Population genomics of mosquito vectors. X. Problem of resistance to insecticides in the fight against neglected tropical diseases transmitted by vectors.