Ag.Head Of Deparment:
Dr. M. A. Alex-Wele
Contact E-mail:
Contact Phone Number(s):
08090599963
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The Department consists of an academic and technical units aimed at ensuring quality training of medical students to enable them acquire basic theoretical and practical knowledge in the area of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology. At the end of the session, the student should be able to apply this knowledge to clinical medicine.
In Medical Microbiology and Parasitology the students are assessed three times during the session; usually midway through the introductory, beginning of the block posting and at the end of block posting. The assessment score is 30% of the overall mark of the student. Students are advised to see assessment as part of their overall score and prepare accordingly. 75% attendance to departmental activity is required to qualify one for admission into the Part II MBBS examination. The Department also train Resident Doctors in the Faculty of Pathology in collaboration with UPTH.
ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES:
The academic session is divided into two phases, namely introductory and block posting. Introductory posting consists of a three-hour lecture session a week for about 16 weeks while Block posting consist of one month intensive lectures, practical sessions and tutorial sessions. Each student is required to actively participate in group discussions and seminars.
The practical sessions include demonstration and active student involvement in the isolation and identification of organism, mainly bacterial, fungal, protozoa and higher parasites. The student is also introduced to serological and antigen detection techniques using procedures such as agglutination, enzyme- linked immunosorbant assays (ELISA) and Immunofluorescence (IMF) Microscopy. Students are expected to fill their Log books during the block posting.
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing further enlightens the student in the area of chemotherapy and antimicrobial resistance. The Department conducts collaborative Research with sister Departments at the teaching hospital. Present areas of focus include:
- Diagnostics and Management of STD/HIV/AIDS
- Antibiotic policy and antimicrobial resistance
- Nosocomial infection and infection control.
COURSE OUTLINE
Introductory lectures
- Introduction to Microbiology and Development of Medical Microbiology, its relation to clinical medicine and public health.
- Structure of Bacterial cell and Morphological types; Bacterial Reproduction and Growth; Nutritional types of bacteria; Classification according to oxygen and temperature requirement; Effects of pH, and osmotic pressure; Theoretical concepts in medicine/public health laboratory diagnosis.
- Basic Principles of Sterilization and Disinfection; Chemotherapy of infections.
- Basis of Microbial Pathogenicity; Normal micro-flora; host – parasite relationships; opportunistic infections, concepts of communicability, hospital infection control.
- Salient characteristics and major groups of Micro-organism of medical importance: Bacteria, Mycoplasmas, Chlamydia, Rickettsiae, Viruses, Fungi, Protozoa and Helminths.
- Laboratory procedures in Medical Microbiology and Parasitology.
- Bacterial Genetics; Effect of microbial mutations and plamids on medical and public health practices.
Block Posting Lectures:
Medical Bacteriology and Virology
- Pathogens Transmitted from tire Respiratory Tract: Pathogens Transmitted from the Respiratory Tract: Bacterial Infections – Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Corynebacteria, BordeteUa; Pasteurella, Yersinia, Francisella, Mycobacterium, Meningococcus, Haemophilus.
Viral, Mycoplasmal and Clamydial Infections – Smallpox, Measles, Rubella, Roseola infantum, Varicella (chickenpox), Herpes zoster, Herpes simplex, Mumps, Psittacosis, Influenza, Common cold, PPLO.
Diseases Transmitted via Intestinal/Urinary Tracts: Bacterial Diseases – Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, Cholera, Entero-pathogenic, Entero-invasive and entero-toxigenic gastro-enteritis due to Escherichia coli, Yersinia, Enterocolitica, Campylobacter jejunum and Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
Viral Diseases – Poliomyelitis, Coxsaekie, ECHO, Viral Hepatitis, Gastroenteritis due to various viral agents.
Diseases Transmitted by Inoculation:
Rabies, Serum Hepatitis / Australian antigen, Arthropod-borne infections, rickettsial, viral.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases:
Trachoma, Inclusion conjunctivitis, Venereal granulomatosis, Granuloma inguinale, Treponematosis- syphilis, Gonorrheoae, Chanchroid, Venereal herpes, Trichomoniasis, Warts, Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Diseases Transmitted through the Soil:
Gas gangrene, Tetanus, Anthrax, Infections by Pseudomonas SPP., Actinomycosis.
Medical Mycology
1. Basic concepts of parasitism and epidemiology as applied to mycological infections.
2. Superficial mycoses
3. Subcutaneous and systemic mycoses.
4. Opportunistic mycosis
PARASITOLOGY
- Basic concepts of parasitism and epidemiology as applied to protozoan infections and infection by helminthes and anthropods.
- Amoebae, Pneumocystis
- Intestinal flagellates and ciliates of man
- Hemosporidia’
- Hepatic, intestinal and pulmonary trematodes andcestodes.
- Blood flukes
- Helminth parasite of man
- Hemoglagellates of medical importance
- Medically important arthropods.
REVIEW TOPICS:
- Mechanism of Pathogenicity – Invasive and non-invasive mechanisms of bacteria; capsules, bacterial toxins, virulence of infection in man, mode of spread.
- Microbiology of skin, wound and bum infections.
- Microbiology of infections of the upper respiratory system.
- Lower respiratory tract infections
- Oral microbiology, gastrointestinal infections and food poisoning.
- Microbiology of infections of genitourinary tract.
- Infections of the nervous system
- Infections involving the blood vascular and lymphatic system.
- Bacterial genetics
- Chemotherapy of bacterial infections.
- Hospital infection control
- Emerging infections
Presently, the following courses have been added to the Departmental work load:
1. Medical Microcbiology and Parasitology for Nursing Students (MMP 301.1)
2. Infectious Diseases for Pharmacy Students
FutureTrend includes M.Sc in Medical Microbiology for doctors.