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The Seminars in Infection and Immunity Series hosts local, national, and international speakers in the immunology, microbiology, virology, and parasitology sectors to acquaint students with current advances and insight in the field. This course provides students with lunch discussions with each speaker to offer networking opportunities with established scientists. Seminars are open to the public. The seminar schedule and list of speakers for each semester can be found by going to the CVM Department of Microbiology and Immunology website. Requirement for graduate students in the field of Immunology and Infectious Disease in the BBS program.

This course will present an overview of parasitologic diagnostic methods including ones used commonly in clinical settings, advanced methods used for specific parasite diagnoses, methods used in research, and methods currently under development. The principles and methodologies behind these methods are presented. The advantages and disadvantages of different methods are examined. This course is intended as a core course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course focuses on the identification and differentiation of common protozoan, helminth and arthropod parasites found in the environment or on/in the body (i.e. in feces, urine, blood, and skin scrapings) of domestic hosts using morphological characteristics. Students will be exposed to some common diagnostic methods that use morphology for identification. Artifacts and pseudoparasites that may be found in samples will be briefly considered. One week of this course will be in person on campus. This course is intended for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course focuses on techniques and procedures useful for the recovery and identification of parasites following animal necropsy. Students will practice common methods used in the recovery of parasites from samples collected from animals. Students will identify parasite specimens collected at necropsy using morphological characteristics. Students also will be exposed to non-morphological diagnostic techniques. Preserved specimens may be used to supplement student learning. One week of this course will be in person on campus. This course is intended for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course will serve as an opportunity for review and synthesis of information related to common and important parasitic infections of production animals. Parasites of production animals will be reviewed, and students will work through a series of cases from presentation, differential diagnoses, choice of diagnostic sample(s) and testing, and suggestions for treatment and control. The course will be taught via online, synchronous and asynchronous discussions. This course is intended as an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course will serve as an opportunity for review and synthesis of information related to common and important parasitic infections of small animals. Parasites of these hosts will be reviewed, and students will work through a series of cases from presentation, differential diagnoses, choice of diagnostic sample(s) and testing, and suggestions for treatment and control. The course will be taught via online, synchronous and asynchronous discussions. This course is intended to be an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course will focus on livestock with some comments relevant to dogs and cats. The causes of anthelmintic resistance, means of measuring resistance and areas of most critical resistance will be presented. Non-pharmaceutical, integrated approaches to control helminths will focus on those developed for sheep and goats, including management approaches, vaccines and natural-based products. The status of these approaches for other animals will be briefly discussed. This course is intended as an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course provides a basic introduction to statistical methods as they relate to experimental and observational studies with a focus on study designs frequently used in parasitology research. This course is intended as an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course is intended to introduce students to the concepts, considerations and processes involved in acquisition of FDA, EPA, and USDA approvals and registrations for parasiticides, biologics and diagnostic devices. There will be a strong focus on study requirements for FDA registered products and some comparison to EMA registration. This course is intended as an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course will provide a broad review of the structure and roles of the federal government with respect to animal health, relating how they are relevant to the animal health community in both the public and private sectors. Government structure and codification of authority as it relates to agriculture, disease reporting, pharmaceutical regulation, research, and trade will be emphasized. Examples will be drawn from parasitology and other disciplines to inform understanding. Guest presentations will be provided by individuals who have worked with or for federal agencies. This course is intended to be a core course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

In this course students develop a topic for their Capstone project (VETMI 7446), a literature review of a subject related to veterinary parasitology. Guidelines for scoping or systematic reviews will be used to compile relevant literature. After reviewing the literature, an annotated bibliography inclusive of an introduction and outline for the Capstone project will be submitted, demonstrating the ability to read and evaluate research literature and extract data applicable to the Capstone topic. This course is intended as a core course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course is intended to introduce students to foundational principles in parasitology through the investigation of those parasites that have key importance in domestic animals. Topics include arthropod, protist, helminth, and acanthocephalan parasites of domestic animals with an emphasis on their biology, transmission, disease induced, and factors to take into account when considering prevention, control, and treatment approaches. Students then draw from knowledge of the biology of these key parasites in order to make inferences about related organisms. This course is intended as a core course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course is intended to guide students in an exploration of the diversity of parasites in wild animals, and to investigate the impacts of changes that can occur when animals are placed in captivity. To this end, students will explore a series of case investigations highlighting different classes of vertebrate hosts. Students will consider how captive environments may facilitate the introduction and/or exposure to parasites that may not be of significant concern in wild counterparts, and their impacts on host health. This course is intended as an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

In this course students will complete their literature review of a subject in veterinary parasitology. Guidelines for scoping or systematic reviews and case report presentations will be followed and students will be encouraged to include a meta-analysis, if the subject is appropriate. With permission of the instructors, a case report or small research project can be presented instead of the literature review, but these must be placed in the context of a literature review. In addition to the written Capstone, students will present their findings in the form of an oral presentation in a formal setting and will develop an infographic for a general audience. This course is intended as a core course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This three-week online laboratory serves as an opportunity to review normal tissue anatomy in histologic sections, as well as microanatomic features of common parasites, in conjunction with histologic evaluation of parasites in histologic sections. Also covered is the evaluation of pathologic changes in tissues, which may or may not necessarily be due to parasitism. This laboratory gives students a solid foundation for evaluation of histologic sections in order to discriminate between normal and pathologically affected tissues, and to differentiate between parasitic infection and other pathologic processes in affected tissues. This course is intended as an online laboratory course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

Through writing abstracts, summaries and critically reviewing peer reviewed parasitology literature, course participants will gain skills in assessing study design and interpretation of results. Written critiques and annotations of literature will enable opportunities to practice scientific writing. In addition, participants will gain basic skills in poster presentations and be exposed to grant writing.

This seminar series provides students an opportunity to apply previously learned parasitology knowledge to new hosts and parasites. All students in the MPS in Veterinary Parasitology Sciences will participate in the seminars for three semesters. The first two semesters will be ungraded and the final semester will be graded. During the final semester, each student will lead asynchronous discussions for two weeks on a parasite and host not discussed in core classes. During the first week, the student leader will provide a handout with the life cycle, a 10-to-15-minute recorded lecture on the parasite/host and kickoff discussion with one or two questions. During the next week, the student leader will provide a case report involving the parasite/host, a summary of the report and two to three questions for discussion. Students not leading the presentation are required to participate by contributing their answers to the posed questions. This course is intended as a core course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course assesses the student’s ability to put their knowledge and understanding of parasitology laboratory methods and parasite identification into practice. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of laboratory methods and practice parasite identification skills through activities such as identifying parasites using taxonomic keys, selecting laboratory methods based on protocol outlines or disease diagnosis, critiquing methods used in the literature, and writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). This course is intended as an online lab course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

The first half of the course will familiarize students with the fundamental principles of veterinary pharmacology, provide a basic understanding of the major definitions and terms used in veterinary pharmacology, and provide the basics on the history and scope of veterinary pharmacology. The second half of the course will take an in-depth look at drugs and agents for the prevention and control of parasitic arthropods, protozoa, and helminths of domestic animals. Emphasis will be on products commercially available in North America and Europe. Presents details on known (or postulated) modes of action for classes of compounds, important differences between drugs within the same class, targeted parasitic life stages, approved drug use and extra label drug use. Established or suspected resistance of parasites to specific drugs or drug classes will be highlighted. This course is intended as a core course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology program.

This course offers participants an overview of the biology of arthropods that impact animal health with a focus on morphology, physiology, life history and ecology. Emphasis will be placed on how physiology and environmental factors impact distribution and disease risk. Participants will have the option to go further in depth in diagnostics, vectored diseases and treatment, prevention and control (clinical concentration) OR explore laboratory raising of arthropods and surveillance techniques (research and conservation concentrations). This course is intended as an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course is intended to introduce students to foundational principles in the discovery of drugs and vaccines for parasite control, including historic examples. The complexity and resource intensiveness of drug discovery and vaccines will be explored. Drug discovery topics will include basic principles of turning chemistry into a drug, identifying a target, and the complexity of developing a lead molecule into a product. Parasite vaccine topics will include the different categories, general formulation and testing and a critique of some current vaccines. Students will develop a sense of what is required for drug and vaccine development, including pitfalls and challenges.

In-depth look at canine and feline parasites of major veterinary medical importance or of special interest (relative to zoonosis, etc.). Emphasis on parasites common in North America and Europe, with some discussion of other geographic regions. Presents details of taxonomy, biology, epidemiology, pathology, host immunity, clinical presentation, and preventative and curative treatment. Also, as relevant, consideration and discussion of parasitic susceptibility and resistance to available parasiticides. Information from studies reported in primary literature will be reviewed where applicable. This course is intended as an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

In-depth look at cattle and sheep parasites of major veterinary importance or of special interest (relative to zoonosis). Emphasis on parasites common in North America and Europe. Presents details of biology, epidemiology, pathology, host immunity, clinical presentation, control and treatment. Also, as relevant, consideration and discussion of parasitic susceptibility and resistance to available parasiticides (i.e., susceptibility of class of parasite, stages and genetic resistance). Information from studies reported in primary literature will be reviewed where applicable. This course is intended as an elective course for students enrolled in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Veterinary Parasitology.

This course is intended to introduce students to concepts and considerations related to the spread, control, and eradication of infectious agents (including the potential ramifications of such actions). Students will explore ways in which artificially-designated boundaries, such as “domestic vs wild”, “animal vs human”, “town/state/country”, cannot contain, and in fact may help parasites gain entry into new environments and host populations. Especially as global temperatures, travel, and encroachment into wild habitats increase. Additionally, students will consider the roles that parasite plasticity, ecology, and food chains play in this context.

This course provides an opportunity for faculty to pilot a new course, or to offer a new course on a temporary basis and/or after the deadline for course submission has passed.