MEDICINE STUDENTS' PERCEPTION IN ACTIVE METHODOLOGY ABOUT EMBRYOLOGY TEACHING-LEARNING TOOLS

Introduction: Human embryology is admittedly difficult to understand, especially for students who are starting a course in the health area and mainly in medicine. Thus, teachers admit the constant need to innovate methods and use different tools that facilitate the teaching-learning process.Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of four basic embryology teaching-learning tools for medical students.Methods: Descriptive, quantitative, and transversal study conducted in the laboratories of the Faculty Ceres-FACERES, among students in the first stage of the medical course. The following tools were used: modeling masses; movies and videos; elaborate schemes with structures to be named and colored; and three-dimensional plaster models, all aimed at demonstrating the main events of the first to eighth week of development. It was selected 60 students over 18 years of age who answered the evaluation questionnaire through Google Forms (Google LLC, California, United States of America), which contained thirteen questions to quantify the degree of satisfaction with each teaching-learning tool.Results: Among the four tools evaluated, “Gypsum Models” proved to be the best tool evaluated by the study participants, followed by “Modelling Masses”, “Designed Schemes” and finally “Films/Videos”. It was identified that the differences occur when comparing the group's films/videos and plaster modeling (p<0.001) and when comparing elaborate schemes and plaster modeling (p<0.001).Conclusion: The tool, plaster models, was the one that contributed the most to the understanding of embryology, reinforcing the importance of three-dimensionality for the understanding of this content.Keywords: Medical education. Teaching-learning tools. Embryology. Teaching.RESUMOIntrodução: A embriologia humana é reconhecidamente de difícil compreensão, principalmente para estudantes que estão iniciando um curso na área da saúde e principalmente na medicina. Assim, os professores admitem a necessidade constante de inovar métodos e utilizar diferentes ferramentas que facilitem o processo de ensino-aprendizagem.Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia de quatro ferramentas básicas de ensino-aprendizagem de embriologia para estudantes de medicina.Métodos: Estudo descritivo, quantitativo e transversal realizado nos laboratórios da Faculdade Ceres-FACERES, entre alunos da primeira etapa do curso de medicina. Foram utilizadas as seguintes ferramentas: modelagem de massas; filmes e vídeos; esquemas elaborados com estruturas a serem nomeadas e coloridas; e modelos tridimensionais de gesso, todos com o objetivo de demonstrar os principais eventos da primeira à oitava semana de desenvolvimento. Foram selecionados 60 alunos maiores de 18 anos que responderam ao questionário de avaliação por meio do Google Forms (Google LLC, Califórnia, Estados Unidos da América), que continha treze questões para quantificar o grau de satisfação com cada ferramenta de ensino-aprendizagem.Resultados: Dentre as quatro ferramentas avaliadas, “Modelos de Gesso” mostrou-se a melhor ferramenta avaliada pelos participantes do estudo, seguida de “Massas de modelagem”, “Esquemas projetados” e por fim “Filmes/Vídeos”. Identificou-se que as diferenças ocorrem na comparação dos filmes/vídeos do grupo e modelagem em gesso (p<0,001) e na comparação de esquemas elaborados e modelagem em gesso (p<0,001).Conclusão: A ferramenta, modelos de gesso, foi a que mais contribuiu para o entendimento da embriologia, reforçando a importância da tridimensionalidade para a compreensão deste conteúdo.Palavras-chave: Educação médica; Ferramentas de ensino-aprendizagem; Embriologia; Ensino.

Preliminary results of an influenza surveillance in wild birds, game birds, domestic ducks and geese in North Eastern Italy

Following the avian influenza (AI) epidemics which occurred in Italy between 1997 and 2003, a surveillance program, funded by the Italian Ministry of Health was implemented. Among the tasks of this surveillance program was an investigation on wild and domestic birds to asses circulation of avian influenza viruses in their natural reservoirs. In this study we collected samples from migratory wild birds (Anseriformes and Charadriiformes), from national and importated game fowls, and from 7 backyard farms of geese and ducks. Cloacal swabs were screened by means of real-time RT-PCR (RRT-PCR) and/or directly processed for attempted virus isolation in embryonated fowl&rsquo;s SPF eggs and blood samples for presence of antibodies against avian influenza viruses. Avian influenza viruses were only obtained from migratory waterfowls belonging to the family Anseriformes, and not from domestic waterfowls or game birds. This study confirms that the risk of introduction of novel influenza viruses in densely populated areas of poultry farms in Veneto is linked to migratory wild birds and in particular from birds belonging to the family Anseriformes

Monitoring of Insecticide Resistance Mutations and Pathogen Circulation in Sand Flies from Emilia-Romagna, a Leishmaniasis Endemic Region of Northern Italy

The continuously expanding distribution of sand flies, proven vectors of Leishmania and of several phleboviruses, is a growing public health issue in Europe. Especially in Italy, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is occurring with increasing incidence northward, in previously non-endemic provinces. Around the globe, disease elimination efforts largely focus on sand fly vector insecticidal control, often leading to the development of resistance. In Emilia-Romagna (ER), northern Italy, insecticides are heavily applied for agricultural and mosquito control, but not specifically against sand flies. Here, we investigated the sand fly species composition in certain environmental settings in ER provinces and monitored the presence of pyrethroid resistance mutations and pathogen circulation. Phlebotomus perfiliewi, a dominant vector of Leishmania infantum, was detected almost exclusively in the region. No mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene, e.g., knock-down resistance mutations I1011M, L1014F/S, V1016G, or F1020S, were recorded. Pathogen monitoring revealed that almost 40% of the tested sand fly pools were positive for Leishmania, while the presence of Toscana and Fermo phleboviruses was also observed in much lower frequencies (≤3% positive pools). Regular epidemiological and entomological monitoring, alongside resistance surveillance, is highly recommended to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of vector control interventions

Active surveillance for Avian Influenza viruses in wild birds and backyard flocks in Northern Italy during 2004-2006

International audienceFollowing the avian influenza (AI) epidemics that occurred in Italy between 1997 and 2003, the Italian Ministry of Health in collaboration with veterinary authorities promoted, funded and implemented a national surveillance programme. The main objectives of the surveillance effort were to identify avian influenza viruses (AIVs) circulating in wild birds and to investigate the role of backyard poultry flocks in the dynamics of infection in a densely populated poultry area (DPPA). Over two years (2004-2006) 164 backyard flocks and 4,083 wild birds (mainly migratory Anseriformes and Charadriiformes) were sampled in three regions in the North of Italy. Samples collected were screened by means of real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) and the positive samples were processed for attempted virus isolation in embryonated fowl's specific pathogen free (SPF) eggs. At the end of the study period 27 low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses had been isolated from backyard flocks and 49 strains obtained from wild birds. Of these 26 belonged to the H5 or H7 subtype and were closely related to contemporary low pathogenic strains of Eurasian lineage. The findings confirm that backyard free range farming is at high risk for AIVs introduction, and the role of wild waterfowl in the introduction and perpetuation of LPAI viruses during the winter season in Southern Europe

Arbovirus screening of mosquitoes collected in 2022 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, with the implementation of a real-time PCR for the detection of Tahyna virus

Several Arboviruses (Arthropod-borne virus) are a concrete health risk. While some arboviruses, such as the West Nile virus (WNV) and the Usutu virus (USUV) are actively surveyed, others are neglected, including the Tahyna virus (TAHV). In this work, we tested – searching for all the three viruses – 37,995 mosquitoes collected in 95 attractive traps, baited by carbon dioxide, distributed in the lowlands of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, between 19 July and 12 August 2022.Among the 668 pools obtained, WNV was detected in 45 pools of Culex (Cx.) pipiens and USUV was recorded in 24 pools of the same mosquito; ten of these Cx. pipiens pools tested positive for both WNV and USUV. Interestingly, we recorded a significant circulation of both WNV lineage 1 (WNV-L1) and lineage 2 (WNV-L2): WNV-L1 strains were detected in 40 pools, WNV-L2 strains in three pools and both lineages were detected in two pools.TAHV was detected in 8 different species of mosquitoes in a total of 37 pools: Aedes (Ae.) caspius (25), Ae. albopictus (5), Ae. vexans (3), Cx. pipiens (2), Ae. cinereus (1) and Anopheles maculipennis sl (1). The significant number of Ae. caspius-pools tested positive and the estimated viral load suggest that this mosquito is the principal vector in the surveyed area. The potential involvement of other mosquito species in the TAHV cycle could usefully be the subject of further experimental investigation.The results obtained demonstrate that, with adequate sampling effort, entomological surveillance is able to detect arboviruses circulating in a given area. Further efforts must be made to better characterise the TAHV cycle in the surveyed area and to define health risk linked to this virus