DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY SCIENCE
V SC/ENT 402 BIOLOGY OF ANIMAL PARASITES
Spring Semester 2004, 3 Credit hours
M-W-F, 9:05am - 9:55am
Room 317 Wagner
Course Outline
Instructors:
Robert
J. Van Saun, DVM, MS, PhD, Course Coordinator
Associate Professor of Veterinary Science / Extension Veterinarian
Department of Veterinary Science
111 Henning Building
Office Phone # 865-6995
Email: rjv10@psu.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-12:00 pm and by appointment
Liwang Cui, PhD
Assistant Professor of Entomology
537 ASI Building
Office Phone # 863-7663
Email: luc2@psu.edu
E-mail is the best method to contact the instructors
with questions, scheduling appointments, report absences or address any other
concern if we are not in our office.
Course Description. This course provides an introduction to the field of animal parasitology. Material
presented emphasizes basic principles of parasitic diseases, taxonomy, life cycle patterns, host-parasite
interactions, disease patterns and zoonosis potential, economic importance of parasitic diseases, and
parasite control programs. Information presented in this course will be useful to students interested in
pursuing a career in veterinary medicine or careers dealing with animal care and management.
Prerequisite: BIOL 110
Course Objectives:
1. To expose the student to basic taxonomy of parasites showing the diversity in internal and external parasites.
2 To gain some understanding in the different life cycles used by parasites to infect their hosts.
3 To know the mechanisms by which different parasites can cause disease in their hosts.
4 To gain an appreciation for the economic costs associated with parasitic infections in agricultural enterprises.
5. To gain some insight into basic control methods and preventive strategies in maintaining a minimal parasite burden in an animal production system.
Course Format: This course will
be taught in lecture format with student questions and discussion encouraged.
Reading assignments are from the textbook and will complement information presented
in lecture. Students are encouraged to read materials in the text prior to lecture
as well as refer to information available on various web sites dealing with
parasitology.
Topics to be covered during the course have been divided into four sections. The first section covers basic principles of parasitology and lectures are given by all course instructors. The remaining 3 sections are divided by parasite organisms and taught by one of the course instructors as well as some guest lecturers. Each instructor for a given section will be primarily responsible for preparing, administering and grading all examination materials and written paper for their section.
Writing Assignments: A total of three (3) graded writing assignments will be required during this course. Two writing assignments will be formal research-based papers covering a topic of interest to the student. For each of the formal research papers, the student is required to submit a topic proposal with an outline of the proposed paper. The proposed topic and outline will be evaluated and critiqued by the instructor and then returned to you with comments and suggestions. Once the paper outline is approved, the student will submit a first draft of the paper. This draft will be reviewed by the instructor and returned to you with comments and editorial suggestions. A final draft for review and grading will then be submitted. Each formal paper will account for approximately 10% of your final grade. More details on writing assignment format are provided at the end of this syllabus.
The third graded writing assignment will be an informal lay journal informational article covering a parasitic disease of the student's choosing. You will choose a parasitic disease of interest and write a brief informational article about the disease. The focus of the article will be to inform the general public about important issues related to your chosen parasite or disease process. This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade.
The three graded writing assignments will account for a total of 30% of your
final grade. In addition to the graded assignments, a limited number of informal
minute papers may be requested at the discretion of the instructor to evaluate
how well you are comprehending the material presented.
Text (highly suggested): Roberts, L.S. and J. Janovy, Jr. Gerald D. Schmidt & Larry S. Roberts' Foundations of Parasitology, 6th edition, Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000 (ISBN # 0-697-42430-8).
Optional Reference Texts:
Cox, FEG. Modern Parasitology: A textbook of Parasitology, 2nd ed., Blackwell Publishing Co., 1997 (ISBN: 0632025859).
Smyth, JD. Introduction to Parasitology, 3rd ed., New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994 (No section on arthropods).
Mathews, BE. Introduction to Parasitology, Cambridge University Press, 1998 (ISBN: 0521576911).
Bowman, DD. Georgis' Parasitology for Veterinarians, 7th ed., WB Saunders Co., 1999 (ISBN: 0-7216-7097-0)
Ballweber, LR. Veterinary Parasitiology, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001, (ISBN: 0-7506-7261-4).
Kassai, T. Veterinary Helminthology, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999 (ISBN: 0-7506-3563-0).
Foreyt, WJ. Veterinary Parasitology,
Reference Manual, 5th ed., Iowa State University Press, 2001 (ISBN 0-8138-2419-2).
Sloss, MW; RL Kemp; AM Zajac. Veterinary Clinical Parasitology, 6th ed., Iowa
State University Press, 1994 (ISBN: 0-8138-1733-1).
Course Web Site: http://www.vetsci.psu.edu/coursedesc/vsc402/vsc402.htm
Web Sites of interest:
www.life.sci.qut.edu.au/LIFESCI/darben/paramast.htm
http://cal.nbc.upenn.edu/merial/
http://pathcuric1.swmed.edu/MicroBiology/LabRef/Parasites/ParaimageTofC.html
Course Grading System: Your final grade for this course will be determined by the following point distribution:
10% Lay journal article on a parasitic disease
30% Section 1 score (2 quizzes, 1 exam, 1 paper)
30% Section 2 score (2 quizzes, 1 exam, 1 paper)
30% Section 3 score (2 quizzes, 1 exam)
100% Total
Each section has at least 2 quizzes and 1 examination, which contribute to the section's grade total. There will be two written reports covering a student-selected topic from sections 1 and 2. Instructors may modify the grading points to accommodate unannounced quizzes. Each instructor will write, administer and grade, for their respective section, all quizzes, examination and written report, even if lecture was presented by a guest lecturer.
Examination Policy:
All students are expected to take quizzes and examinations at their scheduled
times. Students who missed a pop quiz will NOT have an opportunity to make-up
that quiz. Students who have other class examination or athletic conflicts should
contact the respective section instructor prior to the scheduled examination
time to make alternate arrangements. If a quiz or examination is missed, it
is the student's responsibility to contact the respective instructor as soon
as possible. A valid excuse form must be presented to the instructor to qualify
for a make-up examination. Make-up exams will be scheduled promptly at a mutually
agreed to date. In cases of conflict, rescheduled exams will not be given prior
to the original scheduled exam date.
Written Assignment Evaluation: Papers will be evaluated in three areas: 1. Style: grammar and spelling, organization, objective statement, (40 %); 2. Content: detail of material covered; author's interpretation of information presented (40 %); and 3. References: variety and quality, citation accuracy and search materials (20 %).
Grading Criteria
Final letter grades for the course will be assigned according to the following scale assuming a class average of 85% (B). Scores will be adjusted slightly, if necessary, either upward or downward based on the final overall class average.
| Letter Grade | %score |
| A | >94% |
| A- | 90-94% |
| B+ | 87-89% |
| B | 83-86% |
| B- | 80-82% |
| C+ | 77-79% |
| C | 70-76% |
| D | 60-69% |
| F | <60% |
Academic Dishonesty Policy
Any case of academic dishonesty will be handled according to current university policies as outlined in Section 49-20 of the Penn State Student handbook.
Student Disability Concerns:
Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical
information the instructor should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation,
should make an appointment with an instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the
term.
Course Outline
Being able to transfer scientific information to the general public is an important aspect of scientific writing. This assignment will provide you an opportunity to transfer some detailed technical information into information appropriate for the general public. You will choose a specific parasite or its associated disease and write a brief (3 to 5 double spaced pages) informational article. This article should be written at a level to be informative to persons without a scientific background. This paper might be used as a newspaper or magazine article, or be an informational brochure for a medical or veterinary office.
Content: For the topic selected, be sure to provide a concise introduction to the disease or problem to be addressed and why it is important. The introduction should be followed by your discussion of the topic, addressing the pertinent issues the reader needs to know. Finish your article with concise recommendations to address the issue at hand as well as where to find more information, if appropriate.
Suggested Article Topics
The following are just some ideas to stimulate your thinking about a possible topic. The scope of possible topics is very broad, but it must address some issue with a specific parasite or parasitic disease. If you are uncertain of the appropriateness of your selected topic, please contact the instructor for clarification.
West Nile Virus: New Terror in your Backyard?
Amebic Dysentery: What travelers should know
What diseases do ticks carry?
How to protect you (or your animals) from unwanted pests
Potential health risks from owning puppies or kittens
Can I get worms from my dog (or cat)?
Heartworm: Is it a problem with my dog?
How safe is the local swimming hole?
Should you drink the water? A guide for travelers.
Are parasites limiting your cow's production?
Horse care: The nuisance fly
Parasites and your horse
V SC/ENT 402 - Guidelines for Formal Paper Assignments
As a part of the course, we require that students gain experience in searching the literature and writing scientific papers. Two short papers are required from all students. Each report is due by the end of each instructors section. For specific due dates refer to the class schedule.
Contents: You will select the topic of your paper for each section. A suggested list of topics for both sections is provided at the end of this syllabus. This list is not totally inclusive and students are encouraged to develop of topic they are interested in. Your topic selection should be confirmed by the instructor for each respective section. Once your topic is defined, you are expected to complete a literature search over the last 8-10 years on the subject matter. You may use the textbook and another general subject book as reference, but there must be some (minimum of 3) referred journal articles in your reference citations.
Format: Each paper will consist of 4-6 (8 pages maximum) typed, double-spaced pages. You should have at least 3 pertinent journal (not book) references published in the last 8 to 10 years. Lecture notes should not be cited as a reference. We would also like to see 1 or 2 pages from your search materials from BIOSIS, MEDLINE, AGRICOLA when you submit your papers (incorporate as an addendum).
Paper Layout:
1. Title Page: be descriptive and concise, provide your name
2. Introduction: State the topic or questions and objectives; provide
some overview of the topic
3. Materials/Methods: Describe where you searched and how you went about
obtaining information and search process; provide printouts of searches as an
addendum to paper (does not count in page total).
4. Body Narrative: Detail the information and data you obtained on your
subject. Be sure to provide your interpretation of the information. This section
can be subdivided by headings and subheadings to better present the information
to the reader. Cite the references in thee body of the paper with a number.
For example:
...The seven reported cases of leishmaniasis were in soldiers from different army units.1
...The seven reported cases of leishmaniasis were in soldiers from different army units (1).
5. Conclusions/Summary - Provide a brief summary paragraph. What does
all of the information you presented mean?
6. References cited: place references at the end of the paper in the
order in which you cited them within the paper. Use the following format:
1. Gasser RA, Magill AJ, Oster CN, Tramont EC. 1991. The threat of infectious
disease in Americans returning from Operation Desert Storm. N Engl J Med 324:859-864.
(Journal Article)
2. Schmidt, G. D., and L. S. Roberts. 1989. Foundations of Parasitology, 4th
ed. Times Mirror/Mosby College Publishing Company, St. Louis, Missouri, 750
pp. (Book)
3. Nesheim, M. C. 1989. Ascariasis and human nutrition. In: Ascariasis and its
Prevention and Control, D. W. T. Crompton, M. C. Nesheim, and Z. S. Pawlowski
(eds.). Taylor and Francis, London, U.K., p. 87-100. (Book Chapter)
Suggested Paper Topics
These are only some examples of topics for papers in each section. Generally, the paper should cover some aspect of disease and its control for a given parasite within the section being covered. Other topics are acceptable, but the student should contact the instructor if there are any questions about the appropriateness of a selected topic.
Section 1: Protozoan and Trematode Parasites
Neospora caninum - epidemiology and transmission
Giardiasis in day care settings
Sarcocystis neurona: epidemiology and transmission
Protozoan infections in captive deer populations
Drug resistance and transference in malaria
Development of resistance to anti-coccidials
Vaccine development for malaria
Current status of Leishmania in the United States or elsewhere
Pharmaceuticals and new strategies for the control of Cryptosporidia
Control programs for liver flukes in cattle
Tritrichomoniasis in beef herds, changes in detection, treatment and immunization
Trichomoniasis in humans, advances in detection and immunization
Trypanosoma equiperdum - is it a risk for international competitions
Serological techniques for detection of Schistosome infections in people
Water treatment protocols and problems associated with Giardia and Cryptosporidia
Toxoplasma infections in cats and humans, risks of owning cats
Cryptosporidium infections - a zoonotic challenge
Zoonotic protozoal diseases - a review
Section 2: Cestode and Nematode Parasites
Hookworm disease in humans and pets
Visceral Larval Migrans - disease concerns with children and pets
Trichinosis - a worldwide disease concern
Nematode control programs in herbivores
Anthelmintic resistance problems
Strongylus vulgaris infections and colic in horses
Pinworms - epidemiology, disease and control
Blood-sucking nematodes of sheep and goats
Role of tapeworms in animal disease
Epidemiology, disease and control of any specific nematode parasite
Control programs to prevent onchocerciasis in humans
International control program to prevent transmission of guinea worm in humans
Heartworm disease in dogs - epidemiology, treatment and prevention
Ascarid infections in puppies, kittens, foals, or piglets - disease, treatment and prevention
Cestode parasites of herbivores - epidemiology, disease and control
Cestode parasites of dogs and cats - epidemiology, disease and control