University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest

Course description

Denomination: Veterinary Virology

Department: Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Nature: mandatory

Specialization: veterinary

Scheduled place: 2nd year 2nd semester

Lectures: 30 lessons/semester

Practical course: 30 lessons/semester (5×2 lab practicals, 20 plenary practicals)

Credits: 4

Practical course grade: No

Method of evaluation: midterm (general virology), exam

Teaching staff – lectures: Petra Forgách, András Marosi

Teaching staff – practical course: Petra Forgách, András Marosi, Anna Kollár, Csenge Tolnai

Contact: [Click to see email]

Description

The students learn general and specific virology, focusing on pathogens of veterinary importance. They learn the immune response of the host, its protection against infectious diseases and the most important diagnostic methods. The main laboratory techniques and identification procedures are demonstrated at the practicals with the characteristics and identification of the most important viruses.

Teaching is organised in lectures, plenary practicals, and small-group (16 students/group) laboratory practicals.

Teaching environment

The computer-aided lectures and plenary practicals are given in lecture halls determined by the timetable. At the lectures, Teams video (and, if possible, narrated PPT) is recorded and shared with the students in the Moodle system.

The laboratory practicals are held at the practical room of the Department (1143 Budapest, Hungária krt. 23-25., at Puskás Ferenc Stadion subway station), where microscopes, laboratory equipment and computerised summaries help the understanding. The demonstration material is prepared in the Virology laboratory of the Department.

Recommended literature

• The ICTV Report https://ictv.global/report/taxon
• MACLACHLAN, N. J. – DUBOVI, E. J. (ed.): Fenner’s Veterinary Virology. 5th ed. Elsevier, 2016.
• MACLACHLAN, N. J. – DUBOVI, E. J. (ed.): Fenner’s Veterinary Virology. 4th ed. Elsevier, 2010.
• QUINN, P. J. – MARKEY, B. K. – LEONARD, F. C. – HARTIGAN, P. – FANNING, S. – FITZPATRICK, E. S.: Veterinary Microbiology and Microbial Disease. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2011.

Lectures theme

Practical lessons theme

Topics of plenary practicals:

Topics of laboratory practicals:

* Mon., Tue., Thu. and Fri. practical groups have the 5^th practical on the week of 13 March; Wed. practical groups do it on 22 March.

Evaluation description

Practicals

• The theoretical background of virology diagnostic work is reviewed at the plenary lectures of semester weeks 1-3. The condition for downloading the respective practical handout in Moodle is to attend (personally or online) the plenary lecture. The plenary dates and topics are shown in table 3.
• The 5×90 minutes of laboratory practicals start in the 2nd week of the semester and are held weekly in the practical room of the Department. The practical dates and topics are summarised in table 4.
• The basic laboratory examinations are carried out by the manual work of the students based on the laboratory practical handout and the instructions of the practical teacher. The handout can be downloaded from the Moodle system to print or open on electronic devices (e.g. tablets) at the practicals.
• Attending the laboratory practicals is compulsory; the absence should be remedied. After starting the laboratory practical, a maximum of 5 minutes of delayed arrival is accepted; being late more than 5 minutes means missing the practical.
• Attendance at laboratory practicals is not accepted without sufficient knowledge of the subjects’ theoretical backgrounds. Based on the plenary lecture notes, practical handout of the given practical subject and the information discussed at the laboratory practical, a short, 10-question (multiple choice) test is written. The “practical test” will be available in the Moodle system and can be done on the students’ own electronic devices (at home) after the laboratory practical. To answer the 10 multiple-choice questions, 5 minutes are available, and each practical test can be started 3 times. To complete a laboratory practical, in each practical test, at least 5 correct answers are needed at least once among the 3 attempts– at the evaluation, the best score is considered.
• Absence from 1 laboratory practical (and its retake) is acceptable without a medical reason. Missing more than 1 practical is acceptable only in case of a medical condition certified by a doctor. The students should inform the Virology staff about the absence at the latest on the morning of the given practical date in an email sent to virology@univet.hu. In case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the respective University rules are applied.
• The missed laboratory practical can be retaken in the same week by joining another group (if there is a free seat for up to max. 16 students/group) or online by narrated PPTs and pre-recorded videos available in the Moodle system. In the case of retaking the practical online, the test opens only after all the files covering the practical’s topics are opened.
• To get a signature in the black book and so be able to sign up for the exam, the condition is to complete all 5 practicals (tests).
• The deadline to complete all 5 practicals (tests) is 29 March 2023, 8:00 am.
• Those exempted from “General virology”, including the practicals, do not need to sign up for plenary and practical groups. Those exempted from “General virology” but required to complete the practicals should sign up for plenary and practical groups in the Neptun system.

Laboratory rules

– Having a white coat on is compulsory. Students must have proper size and material (latex, or, in case of latex allergy, nitrile or vinyl) surgical gloves to use during the laboratory work.

– Eating, drinking and smoking at the practicals is forbidden.

– Accidents at the practicals have to be reported to the teacher at the practicals.

– Pets are not allowed at the laboratory practicals.

– In case of pregnancy (certified by an official note from your Ob/gyn and the Student’s Secretariat), attendance at the laboratory practical is not allowed; the laboratory practical must be completed online. Please, inform the Department in an email sent to virology@univet.hu.

– In case of chronic disease, long-term hospital treatment or study abroad, the Department must be informed in advance, forwarding a medical certificate or a certificate issued by the Student’s Secretariat in an email sent to virology@univet.hu.

– Because of safety reasons, the maximum number of students allowed to enter the practical room is 16. Group change is not acceptable after the 1st practical; therefore, please sign up in Neptun to that practical group where you can complete all 5 practicals.

Lectures

• In the 2nd semester of the 2022/2023 academic year, the theoretical lecture topics (table 3.) are disseminated to “lecture” and “plenary” dates in the following timetable pattern:

• The updated lecture notes in pdf format will be available in Moodle for download before the lecture; printing and supplementing these drafts with personal notes on the information discussed at the lectures is strongly advised. The draft lecture notes are not enough to prepare for a successful exam!
• At the lectures, recorded Teams videos (and, if possible, narrated PPTs) will be uploaded to the Moodle system after the given lecture is ended.
• Those who are exempted from “General virology” (including the practicals as well) need to attend the “Specific virology” lectures starting on 20 March 2022 (Topic: Taxonomy of viruses; Papillomaviridae, Polyomaviridae).

Exam information

Exam information

• Dysfunction-related (i.e. dyslexia) special midterm/exam conditions are applied to students whose specific conditions the Student’s Secretariat officially reports to the Department based on the certificate issued by prof. Tibor Bartha.

Midterm

• A midterm test is written at the end of the “General Virology” part of the course. The midterm aims to establish the knowledge necessary to understand the “Specific Virology” part of the course.
• The form of midterm is an online test in the Moodle system and is done on the students’ own electronic devices (at home). Types of questions include true/false and multiple-choice tests.
• Midterm date: 11 April 2023 (Tuesday) 16:30.
• The basis of the midterm is the „General virology” topics discussed at the lectures and virology laboratory diagnostic topics discussed at the practicals and related plenary lectures.
• The passing score is 60%.
• There is only 1 midterm opportunity (one date) and no second chance (retake date).
• If the midterm result is at least “passing” (grade 2), it is included in the final mark of the exam at the end of the semester, i.e., at the final exam, only the specific virology test should be completed. In case of failing the midterm, both the general and specific virology topics are included in the exam questions.
• Those exempted from “General virology” are not required to write the midterm.

Final exam

• Students can sit an examination both after the spring and autumn semesters. The condition of the registration to the exam is the signature in the black book.
• The Department determines exam days before the exam period – one exam date each week during the exam period is planned. Registration for exam dates and postponing an exam should be done in the Neptun system.
• The form of the exam is an online (Moodle) test written in designated lecture halls at the Campus on notebooks provided by the University. The test consists of true/false and multiple-choice questions, with a passing score of 60%. Based on the midterm result or exemption, the students will be registered for either „only specific virology” or „complete virology” test.
• The exam results are published in Neptun within 2 days after the exam.
• In case of failing the exam, the retake is by the exam rules of the University.