The course "Epidemiology and Preventive Veterinary Medicine", aims to give the students of Veterinary Medicine the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge on mass occurring diseases in animals (epidemics). Students learn about the infectious process (macro-micro organism relationships), and about the epidemic process (the conditions of occurrence of epidemics and the determinants – the drivers of the epidemic). During the course the lecturers present the global and the Bulgarian experience in the detection, containment and eradication of epidemics and the preventive and control measures for animal husbandry. Essential part in the discipline occupies the procedures for collecting, processing and analysis of epidemiological data as well as the economic aspects of the analysis. The main economic aspects related to animal diseases prevention, control and eradication are presented as well as the basic principles of economic analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of the anti-epidemic measures, the economic losses associated with the localization and elimination of an epizootic disease and how to calculate the benefits from its eradication from the territory of the country.
In the third part of the course, the students are acquainted with the doctrine of pest control (disinfection, insect – control and rodents – control) and their role and place in the complex of the anti-epidemic measures. Special attention is paid to the requirements for carrying out pest control in farms and animal holdings as well as in enterprises producing or processing raw materials and products of animal origin and also in factories for the production of feed and feed ingredients. The role of pest control monitoring methods and analysis of their effectiveness is highlighted.
The topics included in the lectures are directly related to the subject of microbiology and virology, immunology, infectious diseases, tropical diseases, propaedeutic, parasitology, non-infectious diseases, nutrition, zoo-hygiene, ecology, economics, toxicology, pharmacotherapy, chemistry and biostatistics.
During the practical classes, the students have opportunity to actively participate in the implementation of different studies, which are required later for the exam.
