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Medical Microbiology

Code: 101928
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Biomedical Sciences OB 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Lorena Forqué Rodríguez
Email :
lorena.forque@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Arantxa Perez Ugarte
Sergio Lario Garcia
Nona Romani Rodes
Maria Teresa Tortola Fernandez
Elisenda Miro Cardona
Maria Nieves Larrosa Escartin
Ferran Navarro Risueño
Mayli del Consuelo Lung Suarez
Silvia Capilla Rubio
Elisa Nuez Zaragoza
Andres Anton Pagarolas
Juliana Esperalba Esquerra
Adrian Antuori Torres
Antonio Casabella Pernas
Carla Berengua Pereira
Pere Joan Cardona Iglesias
Maria Dolores Quesada Fernandez
Sonia Molinos Abos
Elena Sulleiro Igual
Maria Alba Rivera Martinez
Maria Teresa Llovet Pellejero
Ariadna Rando Segura
Paula Vargas Duran

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

General knowledge of cellular and molecular biology, anatomy, physiology and microscopic structure of human apparatus and systems.

Objectives

General

To give the student a general knowledge about the microorganisms responsible for human infectious diseases and the basic concepts of physiopathology, diagnosis and prophylaxis from an etiological perspective. To enable him/her to understand the advantages and disadvantages, and ultimately to guide and interpret the different diagnostic techniques of infectious diseases.


Objectives of the theoretical classes

To provide specific knowledge on the general characteristics of microorganisms, their pathogenicity mechanisms and host defence mechanisms. Familiarize the student with microbiological diagnostic techniques and the general principles of treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Systematically review the main bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites responsible for infections.


Objectives of the practices

The general objective of the internship is to give the student a broad view of current microbiological diagnostic techniques, their value and limitations. First, it is necessary for the student to personally perform and know the nature of the different techniques of direct diagnosis (microscopic examination, culture isolation, detection of antigens and molecular biology techniques) and indirect diagnosis (serology). Then, in a second phase, he must know the possibilities of their application in the diagnosis of infectious diseases, their advantages and disadvantages.

Learning outcomes

  1. Work as part of a group with members of other professions, understanding their viewpoint and establishing a constructive collaboration.
  2. Recognise the role of microorganisms as agents of disease or toxicological problems in human beings, animals and plants.
  3. Describe the most important groups of pathogenic microorganisms .
  4. Explain the relationships between a possible pathogen and its host.
  5. Identify the techniques used in the detection and identification of pathogens.
  6. Understand the concepts and language of microbiology and consult the scientific literature in the area of microbiology.

Contents


THEORETICAL PROGRAMME


Total hours: 36 hours

Course content:

  1. Introduction to Medical Microbiology and Parasitology. Groups of living organisms with pathogenic potential for humans. Normal human microbiota.
  2. Infectious diseases. Reservoirs and transmission of pathogenic microorganisms. Pathogenesis of infections. Epidemiology. Diagnosis and treatment.
  3. Host–parasite interactions. Mechanisms of microbial pathogenicity and host defense mechanisms.
  4. General characteristics of bacteria.
  5. General characteristics of fungi.
  6. General characteristics of viruses.
  7. General characteristics of protozoa and helminths.
  8. Microbiological diagnosis of infectious diseases.
  9. Antibacterial and antifungal drugs. Mechanisms of resistance.
  10. Antiviral drugs. Classification. Mechanisms of action.
  11. Staphylococci. General characteristics. Pathogenic mechanisms. Staphylococcus aureus. Pathogenicity. Epidemiology. Treatment. Penicillin-inactivating enzymes. Other pathogenic staphylococci of medical importance.
  12. Streptococci and enterococci. Classification. Microbiological characteristics. Streptococcus pyogenes, S. agalactiae, viridans group streptococci, S. pneumoniae. Genus Enterococcus.
  13. Neisseria. Bacteriological characteristics. Habitat. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment.
  14. Enterobacteriaceae. Definition. Habitat. Primary pathogenic and opportunistic enterobacteria.
  15. Pseudomonas and other non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli. Genus Acinetobacter.
  16. Fastidious bacteria: Haemophilus, Bordetella, and Brucella. Bacteriological characteristics. Culture. Habitat. Pathogenicity. Diagnosis. Family Legionellaceae. Microbiological characteristics. Pathogenicity. Epidemiology. Prevention.
  17. Curved bacteria: Campylobacter, Helicobacter, and Vibrio. Bacteriological characteristics. Habitat. Pathology. Diagnosis. Appendix: Gram-positive bacteria of medical importance.
  18. Anaerobic bacteria. Non-spore-forming anaerobes. Spore-forming anaerobes: genus Clostridium. Bacteriological characteristics. Habitat. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment.
  19. Mycobacteria. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Bacteriological characteristics. Habitat. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment. Current status of antimicrobial resistance.
  20. Environmental mycobacteria. Actinomycetales.
  21. Spirochetes. Main genera: Treponema, Borrelia, and Leptospira. Microbiological characteristics. Habitat. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment.
  22. Mycoplasmas, chlamydiae, and rickettsiae. Obligate intracellular bacteria. Bacteriological characteristics. Habitat. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment.
  23. Agents causing cutaneous and subcutaneous mycoses. Dermatophytes. Sporothrix schenckii. Agents of mycetoma. Agents of chromoblastomycosis.
  24. Primary pathogenic fungi and opportunistic yeasts causing systemic mycoses. Genera Candida and Cryptococcus. Appendix: Pneumocystis jirovecii.
  25. Opportunistic systemic fungal infections. Hyaline filamentous fungi: Aspergillus, Scedosporium, and others. Pathology and diagnosis. Lower filamentous fungi: zygomycetes. Pathology and diagnosis.
  26. Enveloped DNA viruses. Herpesviruses. Classification. Biological characteristics. Pathology. Other enveloped DNA viruses.
  27. Non-enveloped DNA viruses. Adenoviruses and papillomaviruses. Biological characteristics. Pathology. Papilloma and cancer. Parvoviruses and other non-enveloped DNA viruses.
  28. Non-enveloped RNA viruses. Picornaviruses. Reoviruses (rotaviruses). Caliciviruses (noroviruses). Classification. Biological characteristics. Pathology. Diagnosis and treatment. Other non-enveloped RNA viruses.
  29. Enveloped RNA viruses. Orthomyxoviruses, paramyxoviruses, and other respiratory viruses. Classification. Biological characteristics. Pathology. Diagnosis and treatment. Other enveloped RNA viruses.
  30. Hepatitis viruses. Classification. Biological characteristics. Epidemiology: geographical distribution and transmission. Clinical manifestations. Persistence. Chronic hepatitis: cirrhosis and liver cancer. Diagnosis. Treatment: antiviral drugs and interferons.
  31. Retroviruses. Classification. Replication. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Biological characteristics. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment. Other retroviruses of medical importance. Retroviruses and cancer.
  32. Vaginal and intestinal protozoal infections. Entamoeba histolytica, Trichomonas, and Giardia. Microbiological characteristics. Habitat. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment. Schistosomes. Biological characteristics. Geographical distribution. Life cycles. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment.
  33. Systemic protozoal infections. Plasmodium and Leishmania. Biological characteristics. Transmission and life cycle. Geographical distribution. Diagnosis. Prevention and treatment.
  34. Systemic protozoal infections. Trypanosoma and Toxoplasma. Biological characteristics. Geographical distribution. Life cycle. Pathology. Diagnosis and treatment.
  35. Medically important platyhelminths. Tapeworms. Biological characteristics. Life cycles. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment. Platyhelminths with restricted geographical distribution. Nematodes. Pinworms and roundworms. Biological characteristics. Life cycles. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment.
  36. Nematodes with restricted geographical distribution: hookworms, Necator, Strongyloides, and filarial worms. Biological characteristics. Life cycles. Pathology. Diagnosis. Treatment.


LABORATORY PRACTICAL SESSIONS

Total hours: 13 hours

Course content:

  • Microscopy: examination of fresh specimens. Staining techniques.
  • Clinical specimens. Culture methods, types of culture media, incubation atmosphere, temperature, and incubation time.
  • Methods for bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Principles and interpretation of the antibiogram.
  • Antigen detection techniques. Diagnosis based on antigen detection.
  • Molecular techniques applied to diagnosis. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). Conventional and real-time NAATs. Detection of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. Application of molecular techniques for microbial typing.
  • Serological techniques.



CLASSROOM PRACTICAL SESSIONS

Total hours: 10 hours

Course content:

  • Sexually transmitted infections. Urinary tract infections.
  • Respiratory tract infections.
  • Central nervous system (CNS) infections.
  • Sepsis and endocarditis.
  • HIV infection. Viral hepatitis.


All these topics will be studied in the context of clinical case discussions.



Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Autostudy 87 3.48
Masterclasses 36 1.44 1
Practicum and seminars 23 0.92 1


The teaching of the Biomedical Science Grade of the UAB is distributed on a rotating basis to the Teaching Units of Vall d ́Hebron, Sant Pau, Germans Trias i Pujol and Parc Taulí.

In relation to the Medical Microbiology subject, all theoretical teaching is taught each year in one of the four Teaching Units indicated on a rotating basis.

The practical teaching of the Medical Microbiology subject is carried out every year, simultaneously, in the four Teaching Units, distributing the students in four equal groups to go each group to one of the four Units.

The teaching methodology will consist of theoretical classes, classroom practices and laboratory practices.

  1. Theoretical classes will be taught in the form of master classes. Classroom practices and laboratory practices will be carried out in groups of maximum 20 students as a way to have an open discuss teaching.
  2. In laboratory practices students will develop different techniques to become familiar with the working methods of the Microbiology laboratory used for the etiological diagnosis of infectious diseases.
  3. In the classroom the basic principles of etiological diagnosis of infectious diseases will be reviewed and discussed with the students, based on real clinical cases.


**Face-to-face classes are considered works protected by intellectual property rights; therefore, recording the classes delivered by teaching staff by any means is not permitted, except in those cases where the teaching staff expressly authorise it during the corresponding session.


Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Theoretical examination 60% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Practical examination 40% 2 0.08 1, 5

The laboratory and classroom practices are compulsory attendance and are essential to be able to be evaluated for the subject.

The final grade will consist of 60% theory and 40% practical work.

The practical examination grade will include the assessment of both laboratory and classroom practical sessions. This examination will consist of multiple-choice questions and/or short-answer questions and/or matching items and/or an oral examination. The theoretical examination will consist of multiple-choice questions and/or short-answer questions and/or matching items.

The theoretical component will be assessed through two qualifying mid-term examinations. The first mid-term examination will account for 30% of the final grade and will assess approximately 50% of the theoretical course content. The second mid-term examination will also account for 30% of the final grade and will assess the remaining theoretical course content.

The practical component will account for 40% of the final grade. Of this percentage, 30% will correspond to the assessment of the practical sessions, which will be carried out through a written examination held on the same date as the second mid-term examination. The remaining 10% will correspond to the assessment of the laboratory practical sessions, which will be carried out through an examination at the end of the laboratory practical sessions.

To pass the mid-term examinations and be exempt from re-examination of the corresponding course content, students must obtain a grade of at least 5 out of 10 in each assessable component (theoretical and practical).

Students who do not pass the course content through the mid-term examinations may sit the final resit examination.

The final grade will be obtained by combining the theoretical grade (60%) and the practical examination grades (40%).

To pass the course, students must obtain an overall grade of at least 5 out of 10.

Those students who have not taken the assessment tests, both theoretical and practical, will be graded \"non-evaluable\".


** The commission of any irregularity during an assessment activity (academic misconduct, plagiarism, or improper use of artificial intelligence, unless such use is expressly authorised in the course syllabus) that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade will result in that assessment activity being awarded a grade of 0. If the course syllabus establishes that obtaining a minimum grade in that assessment activity is an essential requirement for passing the course, or if multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0. In addition, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student who engages in any of these irregularities.


SINGLE ASSESSMENT

This course is not eligible for single assessment.

Bibliography

Specific Bibliography

Prats G. Medical Microbiology and Parasitology. Madrid. Ed. Médica Panamericana. 2022.
Murray PR., Rossental KS., Pfaller MA. Medical Microbiology. 9th Ed. Philadelphia. Elsevier. 2020.
Prats G. Clinical Microbiology. Madrid. Ed. Médica Panamericana. 2006.

Reference Bibliography

Mandell, Douglas y Bennett. Enfermedades Infecciosas. Principios y práctica. 9a Edición. Elsevier España. 2020.
Ausina V., Moreno Guillén S. SEIMC Treaty on Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. Madrid. Editorial Médica Panamericana. 2006.

Farreras-Rozman. Medicina Interna. 19a Edición. Elsevier España. 2020

Interesting links

www.seimc.org
www.escmid.org
www.scmimc.org
www.asm.org
www.cdc.gov

 

Software

Does not require any specific software

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 53 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 201 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 201 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 301 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 301 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 501 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 501 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 611 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 651 Catalan first semester morning-mixed