Epidemiology, Microbiological Food Safety, Public Health

General

• Code: 276-190806
• Semester: 8th
• Study Level: Undergraduate
• Course type: Υποχρεωτικό, Ειδίκευσης
• Teaching and exams language: Greek (English for Erasmus students)
• The course is offered to Erasmus students
• Teaching Methods (Hours/Week): Lectures (2)
• ECTS Units: 3
• Course homepage: https://exams-geo.the.ihu.gr/course/view.php?id=191
• Instructors: Likotrafiti Eleni

Course Contents

• Epidemiology
• Etiological factors of foodborne diseases
  The various microorganisms that cause foodborne illness and their relationship with food.
• Introduction to epidemiology
  What is epidemiology and what is the purpose of epidemiological studies. The history of epidemiology. Terminology. The basic principles of descriptive and analytical epidemiology.
• Epidemiology of foodborne diseases
  Analysis and comparison of epidemiological data from Greece, Europe and the rest of the world. The investigation of temporal and geographical changes in the incidence of foodborne diseases.
• Factors affecting the incidence of foodborne illness
  Causes of real and apparent changes in incidence.
• Foodborne disease surveillance systems
  How epidemiological data are collected. Who are the relevant bodies at local, national and international level? Laboratory diagnosis and identification of the causative agent.
• The investigation of outbreaks
  How to detect a cluster of cases. The phases and methods of the investigation. Control measures. Case studies of real outbreaks.
• Public health
• Water in the context of public health
  Gastrointestinal diseases transmitted by drinking, recreational and environmental water. Legionnaires’ disease.
• The destruction of pathogens in food
  Heat treatment, radiation, antimicrobial substances.
• The inhibition of the growth of pathogens in food
  The combination of physicochemical conditions.
• The prediction of growth and death of foodborne pathogens
  The use of mathematical models and formulas to predict the behavior of pathogenic microorganisms under various conditions and treatments.
• Microbiological food safety
  Overview of the European Union Food Safety Legislation and System. Basic scientific concepts of food safety, history and principles of food safety isk assessment, data collection and processing. Hazard identification, Hazard characterization, Exposure Assessment, Risk Assessment. Introduction to microbiological risk assessment (MRA). Identification and hazard characterization of pathogenic microorganisms in food and water. Exposure assessment and risk characterization in microbiological risk assessment. Risk management and risk communication using print and electronic media.

Educational Goals

The aim of this course is to train students in basic concepts of Epidemiology and the relationship of foodborne infections to public health. In addition, they will delve into basic scientific concepts of food safety, such as food hazard assessment through hazard identification, hazard characterization, hazard exposure assessment, and hazard probability characterization.

General Skills

The students will be familiarized with the use of mathematical models and formulae form  the prediction of the behaviour of pathogenic microorganisms under different conditions and processes.

Teaching Methods

Face to face:

• Lectures (theory and exercises) in the classroom.

Use of ICT means

• Lectures on PowerPoint slides using PC and projector.
• Notes and solved exercises in electronic format.
• Use of videos and online applications in teaching.
• Post course material and communicate with students on the Moodle online platform.

Teaching Organization

Students Evaluation

Evaluation methods:

• Written final exams of the course with short development, critical and multiple choice questions.

The evaluation criteria are presented and analyzed to the students at the beginning of the semester.

Recommended Bibliography

1. Γενική & Κλινική Επιδημιολογία, 2^η Έκδοση/2011, Συγγραφείς: Τριχόπουλος Δημήτριος, Λάγιου Παγώνα Δ., Διαθέτης (Εκδότης) ΠΑΡΙΣΙΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΩΝΥΜΗ ΕΚΔΟΤΙΚΗ ΕΙΣΑΓΩΓΙΚΗ ΕΜΠΟΡΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΙΑ ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΩΝ ΒΙΒΛΙΩΝ. ISBN: 978-960-394-727-1.
2. LECTURE NOTES: Επιδημιολογία και Ιατρική Δημόσιας Υγείας, 5^η Έκδοση/2010, Συγγραφείς: Farmer R., Lawrenson R. Miller D., Διαθέτης (Εκδότης) ΠΑΡΙΣΙΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΩΝΥΜΗ ΕΚΔΟΤΙΚΗ ΕΙΣΑΓΩΓΙΚΗ ΕΜΠΟΡΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΙΑ ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΩΝ ΒΙΒΛΙΩΝ. ISBN: 978-960-394-739-4.
3. Γενική Μικροβιολογία, Έκδοση: 1η έκδοση/2012, Συγγραφείς: Κύρτσου-Καραγκούνη Δ.Αμαλία, Διαθέτης (Εκδότης): UNIBOOKS ΙΚΕ, ISBN: 9786185304614.
4. Μικροβιολογία Τροφίμων, Έκδοση: 1η έκδ/2010, Συγγραφείς: Montville Thomas J., Matthews Karl R., Διαθέτης (Εκδότης): ΣΤΕΛΛΑ ΠΑΡΙΚΟΥ & ΣΙΑ ΟΕ. ISBN: 978-960-411-713-0.
5. BROCK ΒΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΤΩΝ ΜΙΚΡΟΟΡΓΑΝΙΣΜΩΝ, Έκδοση: 1η/2018, Συγγραφείς: Michael T. Madigan, John M. Martinko, Kelly S. Bender, Daniel H. Buckley, David A. Stahl, Διαθέτης (Εκδότης): ΙΔΡΥΜΑ ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ & ΕΡΕΥΝΑΣ-ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΑΚΕΣ ΕΚΔΟΣΕΙΣ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ, ISBN: 978-960-524-523-8.