Microbiology and HYGIENE

Module General and applied hygiene

- have depth knowledge regarding: sources and methods for health data

collection, epidemiological methods for their analysis and interpretation, causes of

disability and death, health determinants and risk factors in the lifestyle, health

determinants and environmental risk factors, methods for the prevention of chronic

diseases, mode of occurrence and spread of infections, interventions on individuals

and on communities for their prevention, principles and application of preventive

medicine in the community, principles and methods of communication applied to

health information and health education.

- To present themselves as authoritative interlocutors on health promotion and

disease prevention issues, in dealing with individuals, with health administrators and

the community.

- To evaluate epidemiological data and know the use for the purposes of health

promotion and disease prevention in individuals and in the community, to

collaborate with the health services in the epidemiological surveillance and in the

programs of health promotion and disease prevention, recognizing health problems

of the community and to collaborate to solve them, to identify and to collaborate to

remove the causes and factors of diseases present in the behavior and environment,

making accurate information on the determinants of health and disease regarding

lifestyle factors and physical and social environment, educate, as part of their

professional activities, to behaviors that promote health and prevent disease and

disability due to microbial, chemical and physical agents, accident.

- to know the health organization at international, European and national level.

-to know skills and managerial activities.

- to know the principles and applications of health economics for the purpose of

choices in health planning

Lectures

Principles of demography and health statistics. Sources of demographic and

epidemiological data. Demographic indicators. Indicators of mortality and

morbidity. Indicators of quality of life.

Principles of epidemiological methodology. The measures in epidemiology. The

epidemiological studies: descriptive epidemiology; analytical epidemiology;

experimental epidemiology. The causal relationship in epidemiology. Risk

assessment. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The evidence-based medicine.

Principles of epidemiology of infectious diseases. Mode of transmission of infection.

The chains of contagion. The natural course of infection.

General principles of the epidemiology of chronic diseases and disabilities. The

necessary causes and the sufficient causes. Risk factors and protective factors.

Causes and factors of the physical environment and of the social environment.

Lifestyles and health. Frequency of chronic diseases and other harmful events in the

population.

Methodology for the prevention and health promotion. Objectives and methods of

prevention (primary, secondary and tertiary prevention).

The prevention of infectious diseases. Primary prevention of infection. Breaking the

chains of transmission. Interventions for the discovery and inactivation of the

sources of infection. Active and passive immunoprophylaxis. Chemoprophylaxis.

Secondary prevention of infections.

Prevention of chronic diseases and of disabilities. Primary, secondary and tertiary

prevention.

Principles of health education. Health and health promotion. Methods and models

of communication. Strategies for health promotion. Health promotion in the Ottawa

Charter.

Epidemiology and prevention of major infectious diseases.

Surveillance systems at European level. The networks and activities of the ECDC

(European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control).

- Respiratory tract infections: influenza, tuberculosis, Legionnaires’ disease.

- Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and blood-borne viruses:

HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C virus infections, blenorragia, syphilis, Human

Papilloma Virus infections infezioni.

- Food- and waterborne diseases and zoonoses: cholera, Hepatitis A and E

virus infections, typhoid feve, gastroenteritis.

- Emerging and vector-borne diseases: arbovirus infections, leishmaniasis,

malaria, rickettsiosis.

- Vaccine-preventable diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles,

mumps, rubella, bacterial meningitis, varicella, invasive bacterial infections,

rotavirus infections.

- Health care associated infections (HAI, hospital acquired infections):

surveillance programs and national and European networks.

Epidemiology and prevention of major chronic diseases. Cardiovascular diseases,

malignant tumors, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Health promotion and disease prevention at different stages of life. Preconception,

prenatal and neonatal prevention. Health needs in children and adolescents. Health

needs in adulthood. Promotion of health in the elderly.

Hygiene of food and of nutrition. Food hygiene. Food and health related issues.

Microbial contamination. Cleaning and preservation of foods. Food safety.

Environment and health. Environmental factors as determinants of health and

disease. The environmental pollution and its effects on health. Water and its

features. Water intended for human consumption, treatment and distribution of

water. Mineral waters. Use of water for recreational purposes. The domestic,

agricultural and industrial wastewater. Air pollution; the effects of air pollutants on

health and environment. The medical waste and domestic solid wastes.

Electromagnetic pollution. Risk factors and prevention in the areas of life and work.

Health organization. The National Health Service in Italy: the central, regional and

local levels. The health planning. The national health plan and the regional health

plans. The health management.

Barbuti S., Fara G.M., Giammanco G. – Igiene, medicina di comunità e sanità pubblica. Edizione EDISES.2014