UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Animal Parasitology/Parasite Distribution

Course Title: BIOL 4407 Animal Parasitology

Lecture Topic: Parasite distributions

Instructor: Brian Fredensborg

Institution: UTPA Department of Biology

Backwards Design

Course Objectives

Primary Objectives- By the next class period students will be able to:
- Understand how parasites are distributed in host populations
- Understand how parasite distribution affects the transmission of parasites in time and space
- Understand how to use the knowledge of parasite distribution to fight infectious disease in developing countries

Sub Objectives- The objectives will require that students be able to:
- Understand the factors affecting the production of infective stages
- Understand the factors affecting the transmission of infective stages to hosts

Difficulties- Students may have difficulty:
- Understanding the concept of mathematical distributions

Real-World Contexts- There are many ways that students can use this material in the real-world, such as:
- The control of infectious disease
- The use of parasites as bio indicators

Model of Knowledge

Concept Map
- Parasitism
- Utilization of hosts by parasites
- How parasites travel from host to host
- How can parasites increase the chance of transmission?

Content Priorities
- Enduring Understanding
  - Life cycle biology
  - Transmission ecology

Worth Being Familiar with
- How culture may affect transmission
- Economics and infectious disease

Assessment of Learning

Formative Assessment
- In Class (groups)
  - Questions directed at students during class time
  - Quizzes during class
- Homework (individual)
  - Solving exercises handed out in class
  - Lab report on lab experiments
Summative Assessment
- Exams (essay)
- Lab report

OBJECTIVE

By the next class period, students will be able to:

Understand how parasites are distributed in host populations
Understand how parasite distribution affects the transmission of parasites in time and space
Understand how to use the knowledge of parasite distribution to fight infectious disease in developing countries

THE CHALLENGE

Design cost-effective ways to control the spread of infectious disease

GENERATE IDEAS

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

Case study presentations

RESEARCH & REVISE

Lecture on parasite distribution
Lab experiments on physical factors and transmission success of infective stages

TEST YOUR METTLE

GO PUBLIC

Define symbiosis
Give examples of different types of symbiosis.
What is fitness?
How can a parasite affect the fitness of a host?
What do parasites use their hosts for?
If there is no immune response, how would the number of parasites be related to host age?
Which hosts are most important to the transmission of parasites?
How does temperature affect metabolism?
How do you think temperature would affect parasites?
How do you think temperature would affect hosts?

Given that all environmental factors and the target host density is constant, what is the most important determinant of parasite transmission?
Name at least three mechanisms in which temperature affects parasite transmission.
Give a definition of a complex life cycle.
Give an example of a parasite with a complex life cycle.
What defines an aggregated distribution?
Which factors cause an aggregated distribution?
How can knowledge about parasite distributions be used in the control of infectious disease?
How may global climate change affect the transmission of infectious disease in the tropics?
How may global climate change affect the transmission of infectious disease in the temperate zone?