Virology Course Research Articles

Development of learning objectives to support undergraduate virology curriculum guidelines.

It has become increasingly important for microbiology educators to help students learn critical concepts of the discipline. This is particularly true in virology, where current challenges include increasing rates of vaccine hesitancy, misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, and controversy surrounding research on pathogens with pandemic potential. Having students learn virology can attract more people to the field and increase the number of people who can engage in meaningful discourse about issues relating to the discipline. However, the limited number of virologists who teach undergraduates, combined with the fact that many institutions lack stand-alone virology courses, results in virology often being taught as a limited number of lectures within an undergraduate microbiology course (if it is covered at all), which may or may not be taught by an individual trained as a virologist. To provide a framework to teach virology to undergraduate students, a team of virology educators, with support from the American Society for Virology (ASV), developed curriculum guidelines for use in a stand-alone undergraduate virology course or a virology section within another course (D. B. Kushner et al., J Virol 96:e01305-22, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01305-22). These guidelines are available at the ASV website (https://asv.org/curriculum-guidelines/). To assist educators in implementing these guidelines, we created examples of measurable learning objectives. This perspective provides details about the virology curriculum guidelines and learning objectives and accompanies the perspective by Boury et al. in this issue of the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (25:e00126-24, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00126-24) about the recent revision of the microbiology curriculum guidelines overseen by the American Society for Microbiology.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Infection with Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV) in a Non-Endemic Area: A Single Institution Study

Introduction: The first human oncogenic retrovirus discovered, human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) remains poorly understood. Etiologically associated with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), HTLV type 1 (HTLV-1) causes lifelong latent infection in CD4+ T cells and is estimated to affect between 5 to 20 million individuals globally. Despite being closely related, HTLV-2 infection has not been casually linked to clinical disease. In recent years, there has been an increased incidence of HTLV in the United States, however, affected patients are often under- and mis-diagnosed. While great strides have been made in understanding the virology, epidemiology, and clinical course of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection, much of our current knowledge of HTLV and HTLV-related diseases is based on research in endemic areas, particularly Japan. We sought to characterize the epidemiology, clinical features, comorbidities, and survival of HTLV-1- or HTLV-2-positive individuals identified in a non-endemic area, using patient information from our academic institution. Methods: Our study was a single institution, retrospective case-control analysis of HTLV-1 or HTLV-2 patients between 1998 and 2020. We utilized two HTLV-negative controls, matched for age, sex, and race, for each one HTLV-positive case. Hematologic, neurologic, and rheumatologic covariates, including viral co-infection, opportunistic illnesses, malignancy, and clinical characteristics, were evaluated as variables affecting overall survival (OS). Results: We identified 38 cases of HTLV infection, of whom 23 were HTLV-1 and 15 were HTLV-2 positive. Median follow up was 39.7 months and median OS was 67.2 months for HTLV-seropositive patients, compared to 49.6 months and 131.2 months, respectively, for HTLV-seronegative patients. HTLV-1 positive patients had lower median OS compared to HTLV-2 patients (47.7 months vs. 77.36 months). During follow-up, 21 of 38 HTLV-seropositive patients died, compared to 33 of 76 HTLV-seronegative patients who died. Underlying reasons for HTLV testing were grouped into eight mutually exclusive categories: transplant evaluation, neurologic deficit(s), hematologic disorder, dermatologic, gastrointestinal, lymphadenopathy, infection, and other/unknown. Notably, the majority (53.9%) of patients in our control group received HTLV testing for transplant evaluation testing, compared to 23.7% of HTLV-seropositive patients. In evaluation of co-morbidities associated with HTLV, hepatitis C seropositivity was higher in HTLV-seropositive patients compared to controls (OR 16.8, 95% CI = 3.4 - 81.8, p < 0.001). There were no cases of HIV infection in our study. In Kaplan Meier analysis, hepatitis C and HTLV co-infection resulted in decreased 1-year and 3-year OS, compared to no infection, hepatitis C infection alone, or HTLV infection alone (Figure 1). Similarly, patients with any cancer diagnosis and HTLV infection had worse 1-year OS compared to patients with cancer or HTLV alone. There was no significance in 1-year OS with other risk factors, including CMV/HTLV co-infection or blood stream bacterial/HTLV co-infection. In univariate analysis, the hazard for 1-year all-cause mortality was increased among patients with HTLV-seropositivity (unadjusted HR 3.4, 95% CI 1.4- 8.2, P = 0.006), ATL (unadjusted HR 4.8, 95% CI 1.8 - 13.3, P = 0.08), AML (unadjusted HR 4.3, 95% CI 1.6-11.9, P = 0.01), and hepatitis C infection (unadjusted HR 3.2, 95% CI 1.2-8.5, P = 0.03) (Table 1). When corrected, multivariate analysis showed that HTLV seropositivity was no longer associated with 1-year all-cause mortality; however association with AML (adjusted HR 10.0, 95% CI 2.8-35.2, P = 0.0003) and hepatitis C infection (adjusted HR 7.0, 95% CI 1.5 - 32.0, P = 0.01) remained significant. Conclusions: HTLV-seropositivity was not associated with increased 1-year mortality in multivariate analysis. Our study is limited by our small patient sample size, as well as the biased patient control population due to HTLV testing. These studies warrant continued evaluation of clinical characteristics and outcomes of HTLV infection in non-endemic regions. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Assessment of Undergraduate Medical Students Awareness of COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim: To assess the level of knowledge and awareness of undergraduate medical students in order to determine whether the undergraduate virology course is up to standard for preparation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted online by random-sampling method with a multi-central approach. Data was collected from 311 respondents for a time period of one month during May 2020. IRB approval was granted. Descriptive analysis was done on student demographics, their knowledge and opinions, using the research tool SPSS 24. Results: Majority of students had factually correct knowledge about Covid-19, according to the WHO guidelines. However, there was poor knowledge regarding animal reservoirs and other diseases caused by Coronaviruses. Most students had learned about Coronaviruses from sources apart from the syllabi or course material and 93% were in agreement for wanting an improved Coronavirus module in their undergraduate virology courses. Conclusion: Medical students have good knowledge about Coronavirus, but are lacking in some crucial topics such as sources of animal reservoir and types of diseases etc. More studies need to be conducted in order to assess whether undergraduate syllabi are sufficient for educating and training students about future possible pandemics. An efficient prospective course of action should be determined accordingly. Keywords: Medical students, Coronaviruses, Covid-19, Pandemic, Knowledge, Awareness.

Exploring the Lytic and Lysogenic Life Cycles of Bacteriophages

The goal of this lesson is to introduce students to the lytic and lysogenic cycles of T4 and lambda bacteriophages, respectively, using student-centered pedagogies. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are either virulent or temperate; virulent phages can only undergo the lytic cycle, which results in death of the host cell, while temperate phages can undergo either the lytic or lysogenic cycle, the latter of which results in the long-term association between host and virus. Bacteriophages significantly affect bacterial population in nature and are even attractive therapeutic interventions for some bacterial infections in humans. Therefore, this lesson was designed to educate students about the structure and function of bacteriophages and how viral infections can impact bacterial populations. The learning goals of this lesson are to understand how the lytic and lysogenic cycles of bacteriophages vary, affect bacterial growth, and are dictated by their unique genomes. To this end, the lesson incorporates a homework assignment for students before class, a series of in-class activities and critical thinking scenarios, and a homework assignment after class. This lesson was successfully employed in an upper-level undergraduate virology course for biology majors. Students were enthusiastic and expressed thoughtful and educated ideas during class discussion and through answers to open-ended questions. Taken together, this lesson provides an interactive and student-centered approach to studying the form and function of bacteriophages, the most abundant organisms in the biosphere. <em>Primary image:&nbsp;</em>Bacteriophage invasion: Image portrays a bacteriophage infecting a host bacterium as the first step of its replication cycle.

Analysis of microbiology online teaching in quarantine conditions

Teaching microbiology, virology, and immunology subject in a medical school has traditionally been conducted without the use of online technologies. Consequently, the changes in the way stakeholders interact need to be analyzed. The purpose of the article is an analysis of the experience that was performed on how the course of microbiology, virology, and immunology was taught online in coronavirus quarantine conditions of 2020. Authors have determined the main problems in achieving by higher education seekers the proper level of theoretical knowledge, some of the practical skills and abilities that have arisen because of the change in the form of practical classes and lectures. The positive aspects of this unpredictable experiment were noted in the way of teaching the discipline. This subject involves higher education seekers gaining a significant amount of sensory and motor skills. Moreover, the subject has a large fragment of theoretical knowledge, which consists of empirical data of the infectious diseases pathogens properties, methods of their study for microbiological diagnosis; the structure of pathogens, which is necessary for understanding the directions of etiotropic therapy of infectious diseases; biological and antigenic properties to assess the possibilities of specific prevention and treatment of diseases; the resistance of pathogens to external factors in order to understand the peculiarities of the epidemiology of each disease and the possibilities of its specific prevention. Higher education seekers must also learn the structure of the human immune system, to study the mechanisms of its functioning. Finally, a complex of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and abilities should be built. These achievements were analyzed in this article to assess the prospects for modernization of the educational process in the subject. The situation was problematic with the teaching of this subject online in quarantine. But the benefits are that it was at the same time a discovery in the use of new digital technologies accumulated by civilization in the educational process in such traditionally classical areas of education as teaching microbiology, virology, and immunology course in medical higher educational institutions.

The Zombie Virus Pandemic: An Innovative Simulation Integrating Virology, Population Health, and Bioethics for Preclinical Medical Students.

IntroductionUnderstanding population health in the context of infectious disease outbreaks is an important physician competency. However, identifying effective ways to engage early medical students in this content remains a challenge. We designed an innovative pandemic simulation for first-year medical students utilizing the pop culture theme of zombies.MethodsThis 2.5-hour simulation was conducted in 2018 and 2020 during students' virology course. Student teams collected and analyzed data to formulate hypotheses for the source pathogen. The teams completed reports explaining their diagnostic hypotheses, infection containment recommendations, and resource allocation recommendations. Learners completed an evaluation of the simulation through an online survey. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics; narrative responses were analyzed qualitatively for themes. A content analysis was performed on students' reports.ResultsTwo hundred eighty-four medical students participated in this activity. Nearly all respondents agreed that the small-group format (98%, 2018 and 2020) and pace and duration (92%, 2018; 94%, 2020) were appropriate and that the activity was intellectually stimulating (97%, 2018; 96%, 2020). Learner engagement measures were high (90%-97%, 2018; 83%-96%, 2020). Analysis of students' reports revealed evidence of cognitive integration of virology, population health, and bioethics concepts, including integration of new learning content.DiscussionCollaborative problem-solving during a simulated zombie-themed pandemic provided preclinical medical students with an engaging opportunity to integrate virology, population health, and bioethics concepts. Implementing this event required advanced planning, use of multiple spaces, learning materials preparation, and recruitment of several faculty, staff, and actors.

Novel primary literature-based alternative to comprehensive final examination for undergraduate virology course.

A novel approach is described using primary literature manuscripts for the final examination of an upper level undergraduate course in virology. This innovative technique was applied as an alternative to a core comprehensive final examination. A recent primary literature paper in virology was assigned several weeks before the end of the semester. Students were instructed to procure the electronic version of the manuscript, and to thoroughly read, highlight and outline the manuscript in advance. The examination was administered with an open book format and students were encouraged to bring laptops to access information as needed to answer questions. This primary literature-based examination format is presented here as an alternative to a comprehensive final exam. By comparing student examination scores for both final examination formats over a period of 11 years, it was determined that student performance was strong and not statistically different when compared to conventional comprehensive final examinations. Thus, the examination format described here was a useful assessment tool that provided students with valuable exposure to the discipline specific primary literature. While this article describes an application to an undergraduate virology course, the same examination techniques could be successfully applied to examinations in undergraduate or graduate classes in any areas of biochemistry and molecular biology.

Implementation of just-in-time teaching strategy as an active learning instructional pedagogy for PharmD integrated microbiology and virology course

Abstract Just-In-Time Teaching (JiTT) is an active learning pedagogy that has been successfully adopted by various disciplines. However, it is unclear if JiTT presents value to a pharmacy curriculum. The current study implemented JiTT as an active-learning tool for an Integrated Microbiology and Virology course offered during the first year of a PharmD program. At the end of the course, students were provided with a survey that included items about JiTT. Several items were aggregated into a single rating about the degree that students agreed with various statements purporting JiTT as helpful, with score choices ranging from 1 (I strongly disagree) to 4 (I strongly agree). Overall, students strongly endorsed JiTT as helpful (M = 3.61, SD = 0.50), and even the lowest score, 2.50, was neutral in tone. Students were asked to endorse rationales for why JiTT questions were used in this course; 93.02% felt that JiTT helped them keep track with the material, and only 34.88% felt that JiTT gave them “extra work.” These results—and other findings stated in the poster —suggest that students in a pharmacy program find value in JiTT.

Requirement for Revision of Virology Education for Medical Students

Background: Medical education should be considered as a dynamic process. If necessary, the program should be changed. Considering rapid advantages in the field of virology, it seems to be necessary to review and change the virology course of medical students. Therefore we decided to analyze the view of Iranian medical students of the quantity and quality of virology course. Methods: Medical students at basic science of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences attended in this research in the spring semester of 2011. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to analyze the view of students of the importance, quality, and revision of the program. And students’ viewpoints about each variable were presented as percentages. Results: 82.5% of students evaluated the importance of virology as high to very high levels. To most of student, the relationship between virology and their future career was high. Most of the students agreed with the increase of duration of the course and revision of the curriculum. The destitution of the courses in basic science was not appropriate according to 86.25% of students. Conclusion: Considering the results of the study, we suggest increasing of virology credit point for medical students. The present study showed that the importance of the course and its professional application was evaluated as high level by most of the students. The revising of the course and adding the new topics to current curriculum was agreed by most of them.

Integrated design of a virology course develops lifelong learners

AbstractThe students in a virology course helped set the learning goals, and the design and content of the exams, and they developed rubrics for individual and group projects. The result was that they learned how to direct their own learning.

Undergraduate virology exercises demonstrate conventional and real‐time PCR using commercially available HIV primers and noninfectious target

It is an extraordinary challenge to offer an undergraduate laboratory course in virology that teaches hands-on, relevant molecular biology techniques using nonpathogenic models of human virus detection. To our knowledge, there exists no inexpensive kits or reagent sets that are appropriate for demonstrating real-time PCR (RT-PCR) in an undergraduate laboratory course in virology. Here we describe simple procedures for student exercises that demonstrate the PCR detection of an HIV target nucleic acid. Our procedures combine a commercially available kit for conventional PCR with a modification for RT-PCR using the same reagents in the kit, making it possible for an instructor with access to a LightCycler® instrument to implement a relevant student exercise on RT-PCR detection of HIV nucleic acid targets. This combination of techniques is useful for demonstrating and comparing conventional PCR amplification and detection with agarose gel electrophoresis, with real-time PCR over a series of three laboratory periods. The series of laboratory periods also is used to provide the foundation for teaching the concept of PCR primer design, optimization of PCR detection systems, and introduction to nucleic acid queries using NCBI-BLAST to find and identify primers, amplicons, and other potential amplification targets within the HIV viral genome. The techniques were successfully implemented at the Biology 364 undergraduate virology course at the University of Scranton during the Fall 2008 semester. The techniques are particularly targeted to students who intend to pursue either postgraduate technical employment or graduate studies in the molecular life sciences.

Virology, immunology, and clinical course of HIV infection.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS, was the second retrovirus to be associated with human diseases. The unique life cycle of retroviruses involves reverse transcription of their RNA to DNA, which is incorporated into their host's genes. HIV, despite its small genome, contains multiple structural and regulatory genes, the latter controlling the rate of viral replication. Experimental vaccines are aimed at inhibiting binding of HIV to host cells. Azidothymidine (AZT) and other nucleoside analogues inhibit the reverse transcriptase enzyme. HIV induces profound and specific immunosuppression by depleting helper lymphocytes that bear the cluster determinant 4 (CD4, formerly T4). The clinical course of HIV infection is mainly determined by the number of CD4 lymphocytes in the blood. A comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to patient management can reduce the adverse medical, psychosocial, and economic impact of AIDS.

Virology, immunology, and clinical course of HIV infection.

Virology, immunology, and clinical course of HIV infection.

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:Digestive physiology and nutrition of ruminants: Digestive Physiology and Nutrition of Ruminants Vol 3 Practical Nutrition Veterinary virology: The Professor Margaret Sabine Virology Course. Advances in Veterinary Virology Veterinary biology and medicine of captive amphibians and reptiles: Veterinary Biology and Medicine of Captive Amphibians and Reptiles Growth and development in cattle: Patterns of Growth and Development in Cattle Laboratory data and biochemical values: Veterinary Laboratory Data. B. RushtonLaboratory data and biochemical values: Biochemical Values in Equine Medicine. D. J. Blackmore and D. BrobstProduction diseases of farm animals: Proceedings 3rd International Conference on Production Diseases in Farm Animals Veterinary cancer medicine: Veterinary Cancer Medicine. Numerous authors. Eds G. H. Theilen and B. R. MadewellDiseases of cattle: Diseases of Cattle A to Z Tumours in domestic animals: Tumours in Domestic Animals. Ed Jack E. Moulton

Sound basis for plant virology course

Plant Virology: The Principles. By Adrian Gibbs and Bryan Harrison. Pp. x+292. (Arnold: London, March 1976.) £16.

Correlation of Virology and Clinical Course of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis

Correlation of Virology and Clinical Course of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis