Title:	Dengue, yellow-fever and other arboviral diseases (Course Language: Portuguese)
Keywords:	Viral Vectors Research International/Global Health
Country:	Portugal
Institution:	Portugal - Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical , Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Course coordinator:	Carla A. Sousa
Date start:	2023-07-04
Date end:	2023-07-17
About duration and dates:	July 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, from 1:30 to 8:00 PM. July 17, Assessment
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT) Universidade Nova de Lisboa Rua da Junqueira Nº 100 1349-008 Lisboa Portugal
ECTS credit points:	2 ECTS credits
SIT: 60 hours SIT Contact: 30 hours (6 hours Lectures, 8,5 hours Lectures followed by practical class, 7,5 hours Practical laboratory classes, 2 hours seminars, 6 hours tutorials) Self-study: 30 hours (20 private reading, 10 writing assessment) English if a non-Portuguese speaking tropEd student is enrolled.
Language:	English
Description: At the end of this module, students are able to contribute to research or to plan interventions to control this group of diseases. Specifically they should be able to: • Appraise epidemiologic data on arboviral diseases (geographic distribution, reservoirs and vectors of the major arboviral diseases including: Chikungunya, Dengue, Japanese Encephalitis, West Nile disease and Rift Valley Fever); • Assess the effects of environmental changes on mosquito-vector borne diseases; • Identify and discuss the risks of the introduction of exotic species of mosquitos; • Describe and selected different vector collection methods and diagnosis techniques in different logistic and organizational contexts; • Discuss and design surveillance and control strategies to this group of diseases.
Assessment Procedures: If students do not attend at least two thirds of the lessons, they are automatically dismissed from the course without any refund. The assessment of the student will have two components: 1. An individual written work based on a real "case study" of a Dengue epidemic, of 2000 ± 200 words (excluding graphs and bibliography). Data needed to accomplish this assignment is presented, in detail, during lesson # 3. This written work represents 75% of the final grade. 2. Continuous assessment of student’s practical classes performance (#4, #5, #8, #9 and #10), which represents 25% of the final grade: after each practical class an individual assessment takes place, each graded from 1 to 20. Different forms of individual assessments will take place, all, with exception of one (lesson #5), done during classes: identification of mosquito species (lesson #4); multiple choice questions regarding the technique performed, e.g aim, type of epidemiological settings it can be applied, limitations (lesson #8 and 9); homework exercises on outcomes according to different epidemiological settings (lesson #5). For students that do not reach 10 out of 20 as the final mark, a written multiple choice and open questions exam will be performed.
Content: Lesson # 1- Arboviruses and arboviral diseases: definitions and types of disease transmission. Major arboviral infections, their epidemiology and impact of climate changes on it (L 2 h). Lesson # 2 - Main arboviruses transmitted by mosquitoes: classification, structure, genomic organization and replicative cycle (L 1h). Lesson # 3 - "Case Study": Madeira. (LP 1,5 h). Information and field data will be presented based on which the students will elaborate theirs written assignment. Lesson # 4 - Mosquito vectors collection methods and morphological identification (adult and immature) (LP 2,5 h). Lesson # 5 - Entomological parameters important for the epidemiology of an arboviral infection: estimation of Human Blood Index by ELISA, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (LP 3,5 h). Lesson # 6 - Arboviral diseases: a history of invasion and (re) emergence, and reasons behind it (L 2 h). Lesson # 7 - Clinical aspects of arboviral diseases (L – 1 h). Lesson # 8 - Laboratorial diagnosis of the major arboviral infections (LP 1 h). Lesson # 9 Detection of Alphavirus by RT-PCR, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (P 4 h) Lesson # 10 - Detection of Alphavirus by neutralization reaction (P 3,5 h). Lesson # 11 – Seminar based on the written assignment (S 2 h). Lectures (L), Lecture followed by pratical class (LP) Practical laboratory classes (P), seminars (S)
Methods: The learning methods include: • Lectures (6 h; 20% of the contact time): during lectures the student is introduced to concepts; • Practical laboratory classes (7,5 h, 25% of the contact time): student actively participates in practical work following laboratorial protocols supervised by lecturers. • Lectures followed by practical classes (8,5 h; 28% of the contact time): mixed classes between the two above. • Seminars (2 h; 7% of the contact time): during seminars, students present and discuss results of written assignments. • Tutorials (6 h; 20% of the contact time): time made available to each student to support individual learning process namely for the writing of the individual assignment.
Prerequisites: - Students should be proficient in English or Portuguese. Level of English proficiency expected: TOEFL test score 213 computer-based or 550 paper-based or 79-80 internet-based or IELTS band 6.0. - Students must have a degree in life sciences.
Attendance: Maximum number of students: 20; Minimum of 3 tropEd non- Portuguese students to perform the course in English.
Selection: First come, first served.
Fees: 720.00 Euro
Scholarships: None
Major changes since initial accreditation: No major changes. Contents are currently slightly more focus on arboviruses as a global health issue; learning methods now include preparatory literature given to students before the beginning of the course; more emphasis was given to the student’s performance continuous assessment.
Student evaluation: TropEd´s student evaluations were carried-out and analyse together with other MSc and PhD students in order to safeguard their anonymity. Main positive aspects referred: organization, contents and importance for their future work. The main negative aspect refer is the short duration of the course. Course evaluation: Mean (minimum-maximum) of all parameters evaluated (n=9): 5,4 out of 6 (5-5,75) Teachers evaluations (n=5), mean (minimum-maximum):5,6 out of 6 (5,33-6).
Lessons learned: To give more time to students to prepare their written assignments and homework, deadline to deliverance was extended one week.
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in Umea, January 2014. This accreditation is valid until January 2019. Re-accreditation in Lisbon, January 2019. This accreditation is valid until January 2024.
Remarks: This module is part of the IHMT post-graduate program in Parasitology and Biomedical Sciences (MSc and PhD).
Email Address:	mrfom@ihmt.unl.pt
Date Of Record Creation:	2014-02-05 04:42:34 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2019-02-15 15:18:30 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2019-03-08 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2023-01-04 12:19:54 (W3C-DTF)