Unit TRAINING IN AVIAN PATHOLOGY
- Course
- Veterinary medicine
- Study-unit Code
- GP001153
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Maria Pia Franciosini
- Teachers
-
- Maria Pia Franciosini
- Maria Luisa Marenzoni (Codocenza)
- Hours
- 25 ore - Maria Pia Franciosini
- 37.5 ore (Codocenza) - Maria Luisa Marenzoni
- CFU
- 2.5
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2022
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Altro
- Area
- Tirocini formativi e di orientamento
- Sector
- VET/05
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- The applied training in Avian Pathology focuses on the practical and professional management of poultry health, integrating pathology, infectious diseases, veterinary public health, biosecurity, legislation and the organization of the National Health Service.
The course will cover the organization of the poultry production chain; main poultry production systems; basic principles of avian gross pathology and post-mortem examination; main pathological findings of health and production relevance; collection of clinical and farm history; diagnostic sampling; and interpretation of laboratory results in relation to the clinical, epidemiological and production context.
Particular attention will be given to infectious diseases of major importance in poultry, including notifiable diseases, zoonoses and diseases relevant to public health, food safety and production continuity. The training will also address biosecurity in poultry farms, surveillance activities, monitoring, control and eradication plans, and the role of the veterinarian in prevention, suspicion reporting and collaboration with the Public Veterinary Services.
The training will include practical references to veterinary public health legislation, the organization of the National Health Service and Public Veterinary Services, and the interaction between farm veterinarians, official veterinarians, Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali, competent authorities and food business operators. - Reference texts
- Teaching materials, operational schemes, gross pathology images, technical documents, legislation and guidelines will be made available to students through the Unistudium platform.
Further textbooks, manuals and institutional documents on avian pathology, poultry health management, biosecurity, veterinary public health and poultry-related legislation may be suggested during the training. - Educational objectives
- D1 - Knowledge and understanding
The student must:
know the general organization of the poultry production chain and the main poultry farming systems;
know the main health problems of poultry in relation to species, age, production category and farming system;
know the main gross pathological findings observed in poultry;
know the correct approach to post-mortem examination and diagnostic sampling;
understand the meaning of the main laboratory tests used in avian pathology;
know the main infectious diseases of poultry, including zoonotic, notifiable and public health-relevant diseases;
know the principles of biosecurity applied to poultry farms;
know the organization of the National Health Service and Public Veterinary Services in relation to poultry health management;
know the role of Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali, Public Veterinary Services, farm veterinarians and private practitioners;
know the main legislative and procedural references concerning suspicion reporting, management and control of avian diseases of public relevance.
D2 - Applying knowledge and understanding
At the end of the training, the student will be able to:
collect and organize the relevant history of a poultry health problem;
observe and correctly describe the main gross pathological findings;
develop a basic diagnostic reasoning and differential diagnosis;
identify the most appropriate samples according to the diagnostic suspicion;
understand the practical meaning of a laboratory report;
connect clinical, pathological, epidemiological and laboratory information;
recognize situations that may require notification to the competent authority;
propose initial biosecurity, isolation, containment and prevention measures;
apply poultry health knowledge to production, public health and food safety contexts.
D3 - Making judgement
At the end of the training, the student will be able to:
evaluate the possible health, production and public health relevance of a pathological problem observed in poultry;
distinguish, at least at a preliminary level, common pathological conditions from situations potentially relevant to veterinary public health;
assess the coherence between diagnostic suspicion, sampling strategy and laboratory investigations;
recognize personal and professional limits and know when to request support from specialists or veterinary authorities;
interpret poultry health problems according to a One Health approach, considering animal health, public health, animal welfare, food safety and the environment.
D4 - Communication skills
At the end of the training, the student will be able to:
describe the main pathological findings clearly and using appropriate technical terminology;
communicate a diagnostic suspicion and the measures to be adopted using language appropriate to the audience;
interact correctly with colleagues, official veterinarians, farm veterinarians, laboratory staff and poultry chain operators;
prepare or contribute to a short technical report on a poultry case;
discuss professional issues concerning avian pathology, biosecurity, veterinary public health and health legislation.
D5 - Lifelong learning skills
At the end of the training, the student will be able to:
know where to find updated information on avian diseases, health legislation, surveillance plans and biosecurity measures;
consult institutional sources, technical documents and guidelines;
update their knowledge in relation to emerging diseases, new regulatory provisions and changes in the epidemiological situation;
continue professional development in avian pathology, veterinary public health and poultry health management.
Day One Competences
The training contributes to the acquisition of the following Day One Competences:
act in a way that shows understanding of the ethical, legal and professional framework within which veterinarians operate;
promote animal health and welfare, public health and food safety;
understand and apply the principles of One Health;
communicate effectively with colleagues, competent authorities, poultry chain operators and the public;
contribute to the prevention, surveillance and control of animal diseases;
recognize personal and professional limits and know when to seek specialist support;
apply principles of biosecurity and risk management in veterinary practice. - Prerequisites
- Based on the degree programme to access to the trainership
- Teaching methods
- The training is organized as an applied and professionalizing activity. Activities may include:
guided discussion of clinical-pathological cases;
observation and description of gross pathological findings;
practical exercises on post-mortem approach and diagnostic sampling;
guided interpretation of images, laboratory reports and diagnostic data;
simulation of decision-making pathways in case of suspected infectious or notifiable disease;
discussion of biosecurity and prevention measures applicable to the poultry chain;
analysis of health procedures, legal references and roles of the different figures involved in the National Health Service. - Other information
- Training activities will be carried out according to the timetable established by the Department of Veterinary Medicine. Operational instructions, teaching materials, supporting documents and communications will be made available through the Unistudium platform.
For practical activities in laboratories, necropsy rooms or external facilities, students must comply with the safety, biosecurity and behavioural rules indicated by the teachers and the responsible staff. - Learning verification modality
- Frequency is compulsory
- Extended program
- 1. Introduction to applied avian pathology
Organization of the poultry production chain; main poultry production categories; role of the veterinarian in poultry health; links between pathology, production, animal welfare, public health and food safety.
2. Approach to a poultry health problem
Collection of farm and clinical history; mortality, morbidity and temporal pattern; age and production category; treatments and vaccination history; interpretation of the problem from a clinical, pathological and epidemiological perspective.
3. Post-mortem examination and description of lesions
Systematic approach to post-mortem examination; description of main gross pathological findings; recognition of lesions compatible with respiratory, enteric, systemic, immunosuppressive, metabolic or management-related diseases.
4. Diagnostic sampling
Choice of samples according to the diagnostic suspicion; samples for bacteriology, virology, histopathology, serology and molecular biology; conservation, submission and accompanying forms; relationship with the diagnostic laboratory.
5. Interpretation of laboratory reports
Meaning and limits of laboratory investigations; interpretation of results according to the clinical, pathological and epidemiological context; difference between laboratory positivity, infection, disease and health relevance.
6. Infectious diseases of major practical relevance in poultry
Discussion of pathological pictures related to respiratory, enteric, systemic and immunosuppressive diseases; notifiable diseases; avian influenza and other diseases of public health relevance; zoonoses and occupational risk.
7. Veterinary public health and legislation
Organization of the National Health Service and Public Veterinary Services; role of the official veterinarian, farm veterinarian and Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali; suspicion reporting; management of notifiable diseases; surveillance, control, eradication and restriction measures.
8. Biosecurity in the poultry chain
Structural and management biosecurity; control of access to farms; cleaning, disinfection and downtime; management of dead animals, litter, vehicles, equipment and personnel; measures to be adopted in case of suspected outbreak.
9. Case discussion and decision-making simulations
Guided analysis of practical cases; choice of the diagnostic pathway; evaluation of health relevance; identification of immediate measures; communication with farmer, laboratory and competent authority. - Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
- 2; 3; 4; 8; 12