Virology

Code:

MI074237

Acronym:

VIROLG

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Health Sciences

Instance: 2021/2022 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://sigarra.up.pt/ffup/pt/ucurr_geral.ficha_uc_view?pv_ocorrencia_id=422301
Responsible unit:	Microbiology Laboratory
Course/CS Responsible:	MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MICF	203	Official Curriculum	4	-	6	39	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The objective of this curricular unit is to: i) study viruses as individual biological entities; ii) know the general aspects of the pathogenesis of viral infections; iii) know the diferent viral families and the viruses that cause human infection; iv) study the pathogenic role of these viruses, the clinical and epidemiological aspects of these infections, and their treatment, prevention and control measures; v) know the basic principles of the laboratory diagnosis of viral infections.

It is also intended to contribute to the development of the following transversal competences:

- Cognitive competences: analytical, critical, reflective and creative thinking;

- Methodological competences: time management and digital competencies;

- Social competences: interpersonal communication and collaborative work.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the Curricular Unit, students should have attained the following competences:

- Know how to identify and characterize the main human viruses;

- Understand the pathogenesis of viral infections;

- Know the different viral families and their respective viruses responsible for human infection;

- Know the basic principles of the laboratorial diagnosis of viral infections;

- Know some methods of viral diagnosis for different viral infections and interpret obtained results.

- Develop capacity to perform literature search in the virology area.

- Develop analytical thinking, as well as critical, reflective and creative spirit.

- Develop capacity to manage time and develop digital competences.

- Develop capacity to work in group and to make oral scientific communications.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Students should have basic knowledge of General Microbiology, Immunology, Cell Biology and Genetics.

Program

Theoretical classes:

I. Introduction to Virology

Definition of viruses and their characteristics.

Viral classification, structure and replication.

Mechanisms of viral pathogenesis.

Antiviral agents and Infection control.

II. Study of viral infections

Papillomaviridae Family. HPV.

Polyomaviridae Family. BKV, JCV, MCV.

Adenoviridae Family. Adenovirus.

Herpesviridae Family. HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, CMV, EBV, HHV-6, HHV-7, HHV-8.

Parvoviridae Family. Parvovirus B19.

Reoviridae Family. Reovirus e rotavirus.

Togaviridae Family. Rubella virus. 

Picornaviridae Family. Rhinovirus, poliovirus, non-polio enterovirus.

Caliciviridae Family. Norovirus, sapovirus.

Coronaviridae Family. SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV e SARS-CoV2.

Paramyxoviridae Family. Parainfluenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, metapneumovirus, mumps virus, measles virus.

Ortomyxoviridae Family. Influenza viruses.

Retroviridae Family. HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-I, HTLV-II.

Viral Hepatitis. 

 

 

Practical and Laboratorial classes:

Cell culture. Cytopathic effect.

Theoretical-practical concepts on screening and study of mechanism of action of compounds with antiviral activity.

Theoretical-practical concepts on laboratory diagnosis of viral infections.

Detection of viral antigens.

Detection of viral genomes.

Detection of antibodies (serological diagnosis).

Interpretation of results obtained during the laboratorial classes and study of clinical cases.

Oral thematic presentations, as group work. These works will constitute the distributed evaluation component of this curricular unit.

Mandatory literature

Patrick R. Murray, Ken S. Rosenthal, Michael A. Pfaller; Medical Microbiology, Elsevier, 2021. ISBN: 978-0-323-67322-8
Flint S.J., Racaniello V.R., Rall G.F., Hatziioannou T., Skalka A.M.; Principles of Virology (5a Edição, Volume 2 “Pathogenesis and Control”), ASM Press, 2020. ISBN: 978-1683672852
Burrell C., Howard C.R., Murphy F.; Fenner and White's Medical Virology (5a Edição), Elsevier, 2016. ISBN: 978-0123751560
Peter M. Howley, David M. Knipe; Fields Virology, Wolters Kluwer, 2021. ISBN: 978-1451105636 (Volume 1 - Emerging Viruses, 7th Edition)
David M. Knipe, Peter M. Howley, ; Fields Virology, Wolters Kluwer, 2013. ISBN: 978-1451105636

Complementary Bibliography

Geo F. Brooks, Karen C. Carroll, Janet S. Butel, Stephen A. Morse, Timothy A. Mietzner; Medical Microbiology, Mc Graw Hill - Lange, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-07-181578-9
Flint S.J., Racaniello V.R., Rall G.F., Hatziioannou T., Skalka A.M; Principles of Virology (5a Edição, Volume 1 “Molecular Biology”), ASM Press, 2020. ISBN: 978-1683672845
Cann Alan J.; Principles of molecular virology. ISBN: 0-12-158533-6
Helena Barroso; Microbiologia médica. ISBN: 978-989-752-057-0 (Vol. 1)

Comments from the literature

 

 

Teaching methods and learning activities

 - Theoretical classes (1.5 hours/week)

keywords

Health sciences

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	80,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	20,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	119,00
Frequência das aulas	42,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	1,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

- The presence of the students in the theoretical classes is not compulsory.

- The presence of the students in the laboratorial and practical classes is compulsory, according to the “Evaluation Rules” of FFUP, except for the students who, by law, do not need to attend such classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

- Distributed component of evaluation:

The distributed evaluation will take place during the practical and laboratorial classes and will consist in the elaboration, oral presentation and discussion of a theme given by the lecturer (from 0.0 to 20.0 points).

The distributed evaluation component is compulsory.

In order to have access to the final written exam, a minimum classification in the distributed component of the evaluation is not required.

The students who attended this Curricular Unit for the first time during the 2019/20 or 2020/21 school years maintain the classification of the distributed evaluation, but their final classification will be calculated as explained in the description of the 2021/22 Curricular Unit (see calculation of final classification). If those students wish to improve the distributed evaluation component, they must attend again this curricular unit.

In case students do not carry out the distributed evaluation

In case of students that, by law, do not need to attend the classes and miss the distributed evaluation, or in the case of students that miss the distributed evaluation for a health reason (properly proved at the SGAE and with the justification approved by the Director of FFUP), the distributed evaluation may be rescheduled to be done individually (and not in a group as initially planed), as long as:

- the reschedule is possible before the last practical and laboratorial class of the Curricular Unit;

- the rescheduled date/hour is agreed with the teacher responsible for the Curricular Unit, in writing, through the institutional e-mails of the student and teacher;

In cases not in the framework of the situations above mentioned, the distributed evaluation may only be rescheduled if the student asks the Director of FFUP, according to the established rules and deadlines, and obtains consent for that effect.

In case those students miss the rescheduled evaluation, or that other students miss the distributed evaluation, the attendance of practical and laboratorial classes will not be obtained and those students will not have access to the Final theoretical exam.

- Final Exam:

The final exam will consist in a written exam (or in the Moodle), which will comprise the topics taught in the theoretical classes.

The classification of the final exam will be expressed in a scale from 0.0 to 20.0 points.

The exam is obligatory and the students will require a minimum classification in this final exam equal or superior to 9.5 points in 20.

There will be no oral exams.

- Calculation of Final Classification:

The final classification of the curricular unit will correspond to the classification obtained in the final written Exam (contribution of 80%) plus the classification obtained in the distributed evaluation (contribution of 20%). The final classification will be expressed in a numerical scale from 0 to 20. Only this final classification will be rounded up to units.

In order to get approved in this curricular unit, the students need to obtain a minimum final classification of 10 points, according to the “Rules of Evaluation“ from FFUP.

Examinations or Special Assignments

According to the evaluation rules of FFUP.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

According to the evaluation rules of FFUP.

Classification improvement

According to the evaluation rules of FFUP.

Only the evaluation component corresponding to the Final Exam may be repeated, in order to improve the classification. The classification from the distributed evaluation may not be repeated in order to improve the classification.

Observations

Mobility Students

Mobility students are accepted provided they understand Portuguese. The Curricular Unit is taught in Portuguese and the exam will be in Portuguese.

Alterations due to the Covid-19 Contingency Plan

In case it will not be possible to allow all students to attend the theoretical classes and the practical and laboratorial classes, due to a need to control the contagion or to confinement associated to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes will be altered as follows:

I – Scenario of limitation in the capacity of rooms for face-to-face classes

-The theoretical classes will be in person, but with limitation in the capacity of the amphitheater, with synchronous videoconference (at the established times and using platforms such as Colibri-Zoom and Panopto) for the students who do not have access to the amphitheater.

- The practical and laboratory classes will take place in the laboratories, respecting 50% of their usual capacity, with division of the classes in even and odd shifts.

- Some of the evaluation moments may occur at distance, according to the FFUP rules.

II - Scenario of all classes taking place at a distance

-The theoretical classes will be taught with synchronous videoconference, at the established timetables and using platforms such as Colibri-Zoom and Panopto.  

- Most of the practical and laboratorial classes will be taught in synchronous videoconference sessions, at the established timetables and using platforms such as Colibri-Zoom and Panopto, during which laboratory protocols will be presented and discussed, as well as expected experimental results. Exceptionally, in case some of the laboratorial classes may be postponed, synchronous classes may not occur during the timetable initially predicted for the postponed classes, but pedagogical materials will be made available at the Moodle platform.

- Some of the evaluation moments may occur at distance, according to the FFUP rules.