RGUHS Microbiology - Paper 2 Important Topics

Paper 2 covers: Virology | Mycology | Parasitology Pattern: 2 Long Essays (10 marks each) + 10 Short Essays (5 marks each) + 10 Short Answers (2 marks each)

🦠 VIROLOGY

• HIV/AIDS - Structure, pathogenesis, lab diagnosis (ELISA, Western Blot, CD4 count), HAART
• Hepatitis viruses - HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV - comparison table, serological markers of HBV (HBsAg, anti-HBc, HBeAg), window period
• Herpes viruses - HSV1, HSV2, VZV, EBV, CMV - latency concept, lab diagnosis
• Dengue virus - pathogenesis, hemorrhagic fever, NS1 antigen, serology (MAC-ELISA)
• Influenza virus - antigenic shift vs. drift, pandemic significance, lab diagnosis

• Rabies virus - Negri bodies, post-exposure prophylaxis
• Poliomyelitis - types, Sabin vs. Salk vaccine, eradication status
• Rotavirus - major cause of childhood diarrhea, vaccine
• Measles - Koplik spots, lab diagnosis, complications
• Rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (TORCH infections)
• SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 - pathogenesis, RT-PCR diagnosis
• Parvovirus B19 - aplastic crisis, fifth disease
• JC virus / BK virus - opportunistic infections
• Laboratory diagnosis of viral infections (cell culture, serology, molecular methods)

• Prions - definition, diseases (CJD, Kuru)
• Arboviral encephalitides (JE, West Nile)
• Cold chain and vaccine storage
• Cytopathic effect (CPE)
• Oncogenic viruses (HPV, EBV, HBV, HTLV-1)
• Viral hemorrhagic fevers

🍄 MYCOLOGY

• Candida - morphology, virulence factors, superficial vs. deep infections, lab diagnosis, antifungals
• Cryptococcus neoformans - meningitis in immunocompromised, India ink prep, cryptococcal antigen test
• Aspergillus - invasive aspergillosis, Aspergilloma, lab diagnosis

• Dermatophytes (Tinea infections) - Trichophyton, Microsporum, Epidermophyton; KOH mount
• Histoplasma capsulatum - dimorphism, endemic mycosis
• Mucormycosis (Rhizopus) - rhino-orbital-cerebral form, post-COVID association
• Sporothrix schenckii - rose thorn injury, lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis
• Pneumocystis jirovecii - PCP in AIDS patients, diagnosis, cotrimoxazole
• Antifungal agents - mechanism of action (Amphotericin B, Azoles, Echinocandins)
• Dimorphic fungi - concept and examples

• KOH mount preparation
• Germ tube test for Candida
• India ink preparation
• Ringworm (Tinea corporis)
• Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)

🪱 PARASITOLOGY

• Plasmodium (Malaria) - life cycle, species differences (P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale), severe malaria (cerebral malaria), lab diagnosis (thick/thin film, RDT, PCR), treatment (chloroquine, artemisinin)
• Entamoeba histolytica - life cycle, amoebic dysentery vs. amoebic liver abscess, lab diagnosis, metronidazole
• Leishmania - VL (kala-azar), CL, MCL; life cycle (sandfly), lab diagnosis (LD bodies), treatment

• Giardia lamblia - malabsorption syndrome, trophozoite morphology, cyst in stool
• Toxoplasma gondii - congenital toxoplasmosis, immunocompromised patients, Sabin-Feldman test
• Trichomonas vaginalis - STI, wet mount diagnosis
• Taenia solium / T. saginata - cysticercosis, neurocysticercosis
• Wuchereria bancrofti - filariasis, microfilaria, elephantiasis
• Ascaris lumbricoides - life cycle, Loeffler's syndrome
• Hookworm (Ancylostoma / Necator) - anemia, lab diagnosis
• Strongyloides stercoralis - hyperinfection in immunocompromised
• Echinococcus (Hydatid cyst) - Casoni's test, imaging, treatment
• Trichinella spiralis - muscle biopsy

• Malarial pigment (hemozoin)
• LD bodies
• Cysticercus cellulosae
• Microfilaria differentiation
• Blood film techniques
• Kato-Katz technique for helminth eggs
• Ivermectin - uses in parasitology
• National Malaria Control Programme

📌 Exam Strategy Tips for RGUHS Paper 2

• Ananthanarayan & Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology (10th Ed.)
• Apurba Sastry's Essentials of Medical Microbiology