Syllabus

Paper – 1

• General Microbiology

• Immunology

• Sterilization & Disinfection

• Hospital Acquired Infections & their Control

• Bloodstream & Cardiovascular Infections

• Gastrointestinal Infections

• Hepatobiliary Infections

Paper – 2

• Skin & Soft Tissue Infections

• Respiratory Tract Infections

• CNS Infections

• Genitourinary Infections

• Miscellaneous Infections including Zoonoses

Note: AETCOM (Attitude, Ethics and Communication) can be asked in any or both papers.

DETAIL Syllabus :

Undergraduate Microbiology Course Overview (MBBS)

🔬 Course Introduction

• Course Duration: One Academic Year (Phase II MBBS).

• Goal: To provide a comprehensive understanding of infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) regarding their pathogenesis, laboratory diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, with a strong focus on infection control and antimicrobial stewardship.

🧫 Section 1: General Microbiology & Immunology

This module introduces the biology of microbes and the human body's defensive immune responses.

• Introduction & History: Milestones in microbiology, microscopy techniques, and bacterial morphology.

• Bacterial Growth & Metabolism: Nutritional requirements, growth curve, and culture media types.

• Sterilisation & Disinfection: Physical and chemical agents, hospital waste management, and CSSD practices.

• Bacterial Genetics & Antimicrobial Resistance: Plasmids, mutation, gene transfer, mechanisms of drug resistance, and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST).

• Innate and Acquired Immunity: Mechanisms of barrier defense, phagocytosis, antigens, and immunoglobulins.

• Immune Response & Complement: Cell-mediated vs. humoral immunity, major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and the complement system.

• Hypersensitivity & Autoimmunity: Types I–IV hypersensitivity, mechanisms of autoimmune disease, and transplantation immunology.

• Immunodiagnostics: Principles of agglutination, precipitation, ELISA, Western Blot, and immunofluorescence.

🦠 Section 2: Systematic Bacteriology

A detailed look at medically important bacteria, their clinical presentations, and lab identification.

• Gram-Positive Cocci: Staphylococcus (MRSA), Streptococcus, Pneumococcus, and Enterococcus.

• Gram-Negative Cocci: Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

• Gram-Positive Bacilli: Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium (tetani, botulinum, difficile), and Listeria.

• Gram-Negative Bacilli (Enteric): Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Salmonella (Typhoid), Shigella, and Proteus.

• Other Gram-Negative Bacilli: Pseudomonas, Vibrio cholerae, Haemophilus, and Bordetella.

• Mycobacteria: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB, MDR-TB), Mycobacterium leprae (Leprosy), and Atypical Mycobacteria.

• Spirochetes & Miscellany: Treponema pallidum (Syphilis), Leptospira, Chlamydia, Rickettsia, and Mycoplasma.

🧬 Section 3: Virology & Mycology

Focuses on sub-cellular viral pathogens and fungal infections relevant to human health.

• General Virology: Viral structure, replication cycles, cultivation methods, and antiviral agents.

• RNA Viruses: Influenza, Paramyxoviruses (Measles, Mumps), Rabies, Arboviruses (Dengue, Chikungunya), and Retroviruses (HIV).

• DNA Viruses: Herpesviruses (HSV, VZV, CMV, EBV), Poxviruses, Adenoviruses, and Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

• Hepatitis Viruses: Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E (transmission, markers, and chronic states).

• General Mycology: Fungal morphology, classification, and laboratory diagnostic approaches.

• Superficial & Subcutaneous Mycology: Dermatophytes (Ringworm), Tinea versicolor, and Mycetoma.

• Systemic & Opportunistic Mycology: Candida, Cryptococcus, Aspergillus, Mucor (Mucormycosis), and Histoplasma.

🪱 Section 4: Medical Parasitology

Covers protozoan and helminthic parasites affecting human populations.

• Protozoology:

  • Intestinal & Luminal: Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Trichomonas.

  • Blood & Tissue: Plasmodium species (Malaria), Leishmania donovani (Kala-azar), and Toxoplasma gondii.

• Helminthology:

  • Cestodes (Tapeworms): Taenia saginata/solium and Echinococcus granulosus (Hydatid cyst).

  • Trematodes (Flukes): Schistosoma and Fasciola hepatica.

  • Nematodes (Roundworms): Ascaris lumbricoides, Hookworm, Enterobius, Trichuris, and Wuchereria bancrofti (Filariasis).

🏥 Section 5: Applied Microbiology & Infection Control

The clinical integration of microbiology into daily hospital safety and patient care.

• Systemic Infections: Laboratory diagnostic algorithms for Meningitis, Endocarditis, UTI, Diarrhoea, and PUO (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin).

• Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAI): Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), Catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI), and Surgical Site Infections (SSI).

• Biomedical Waste (BMW) Management: Legal categories, color-coded segregation, and disposal technologies.

• Standard Precautions: Hand hygiene protocols, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guidelines, and needle-stick injury management.

🧫 Section 6: Practical & Laboratory Curriculum

Hands-on competencies required for the Phase II MBBS practical exams.

• Staining Techniques: Performing and interpreting Gram stains, Acid-Fast stains (Ziehl-Neelsen), and Albert's staining.

• Stool Examination: Macroscopic and microscopic evaluation for parasites (ova, cysts, and trophozoites).

• Culture & Identification: Observation of bacterial colonies on Nutrient, Blood, and MacConkey agar plates.

• Applied Exercises: Interpretation of Widal tests, VDRL tests, ELISA plates, and Antibiotic Zones of Inhibition.

Section 1: Microbiology Museum & Integrated HIC (Hospital Infection Control) Hub

This home page section highlights how the department connects historical microbial study with active, modern hospital safety protocols.

🗂️ The Microbiology Museum & Learning Bay

The Microbiology Museum at [College Name] is structured to help students visualize invisible pathogens through high-quality 3D models, historical timelines, and interactive media.

• Bacteriology & Virology Exhibit: Detailed, oversized models of bacterial anatomy (spores, flagella) and viral structures (HIV, Influenza, Bacteriophages).

• Parasitology & Helminthic Gallery: Features preserved gross specimens of intestinal parasites (like Ascaris masses), tapeworms, and vector display cases (mosquito life cycles).

• The Mycological Display: Cultured, sealed examples of common and opportunistic fungi, including macroscopic growth stages of Aspergillus and Mucor.

• Digital Diagnostic Station: An interactive kiosk where students can review automated blood culture systems (e.g., BD BACTEC) and molecular PCR assay workflows.

🛡️ The Integrated Hospital Infection Control (HIC) Corner

This physical wing within the museum serves as the practical training site for hospital safety, antimicrobial stewardship, and outbreak management.

• The Hand Hygiene Audit Booth: Equipped with UV-reflective gel stations where students can check their handwashing technique under a blacklight.

• PPE Donning & Doffing Station: A step-by-step physical training bay with full-length mirrors and instructional screens for practicing infection-barrier protocols.

• Biomedical Waste (BMW) Simulator: A hands-on station featuring real, color-coded medical waste bins (Yellow, Red, White, Blue) to practice legal segregation rules. [1]

• Needle-Stick Injury (NSI) Action Center: A prominent notice board outlining the exact, step-by-step immediate first-aid and reporting protocol for accidental sharps injuries.

Recommended Textbooks & Reference Materials (Microbiology)

This standardized layout uses visual tags to help undergraduate medical students quickly source their required reading material.

📙 Standard Undergraduate Textbooks (Core Reading)

• Essentials of Medical Microbiology

  • Authors: Apurba Sastry & Sandhya Bhat

  • Utility: The current standard for competency-based medical education (CBME), featuring highly structured text, clinical case-based questions, and colorful algorithms.

  • Tag: Highly Recommended for University Exams

• Ananthanarayan and Paniker’s Textbook of Microbiology

  • Editors: Reba Kanungo

  • Utility: A classic, foundational textbook renowned for its deeply clear concepts in general microbiology, immunology, and systematic bacteriology.

  • Tag: Core Curriculum Text

• Textbook of Medical Parasitology

  • Authors: Dr. Arora & Dr. Arora

  • Utility: Outstanding simplified diagrams of complex parasitic life cycles, helpful for both theory and practical stool-examination identification.

  • Tag: Core Parasitology Manual

📘 Advanced Reference Materials (For Postgraduates & Research)

• Jawetz, Melnick, & Adelberg's Medical Microbiology

  • Authors: Stefan Riedel, et al.

  • Utility: Global standard reference book mapping the molecular genetics of pathogens and detailed pathophysiological mechanisms.

  • Tag: Reference Only

• Mackie & McCartney Practical Medical Microbiology

  • Editors: J.G. Collee, et al.

  • Utility: The ultimate laboratory reference guide for culture media preparation, chemical reagents, and benchtop biochemical testing protocols.