FNB Infectious Disease: Admissions, medical colleges, fees, eligibility criteria details

FNB Infectious Diseases or Fellow of National Board in Infectious Diseases also known as FNB in Infectious Diseases is a doctoral fellowship program for doctors in India that they do after completion of their postgraduate medical degree course. The duration of the FNB course is for 2 years.

The FNB Infectious Diseases course focuses on enhancing knowledge in the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of common, complex, and emerging infectious diseases.

Through the Fellowship candidates learn an advanced understanding of host defense mechanisms and immune responses to infectious agents and acquire an advanced understanding of host defense mechanisms and immune responses to infectious agents.

The course is a full-time course pursued at various accredited institutes/hospitals across the country, the top institutions include P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thiravantapuram, Kerala and more. 

Candidates can get admission to 2 years FNB course after successfully qualifying for the FET (Fellowship Entrance Test) examination which is conducted by NBEMS. FET is conducted annually as per the prescribed schedule. The merit-based counseling for admissions to the FNB Programme after the conduct of FET is administered by NBEMS.

The fee for pursuing FNB Infectious Diseases varies from accredited institutes/hospital to hospital and is around Rs.1,25,000 per year.

After completing their respective course, doctors can join the job market. Candidates can take reputed jobs at positions as research fellows, Senior residents, Consultants, etc. with an approximate salary range of Rs. 15 lakhs to Rs. 27 lakhs per year.

The Nomenclature of the FNB qualification awarded by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences is “Fellow of National Board”. The FNB qualifications are recognized qualifications in terms of the Gazette notification dated 10th August 2016.

What is FNB in Infectious Diseases?

FNB in Infectious Diseases is a two-year doctoral fellowship program that candidates can pursue after completing a postgraduate degree. 

The National Board of Examinations (NBE) has released a curriculum for FNB Infectious Diseases.

The curriculum governs the education and training of FNB Infectious Diseases.

Course Highlights

Here are some of the course highlights of FNB Infectious Diseases

Eligibility Criteria

Note:

Admission Process

The admission process contains a few steps for the candidates for admission to FNB. Candidates can view the complete admission process for FNB Infectious Diseases mentioned below:

• FET is a qualifying-cum-ranking examination for admission to Fellow of National Board (FNB)/Fellow of National Board - Post Doctoral (FNB-PD) courses.
• The selection of a student will be through an MCQ-based examination namely Fellowship Entrance Test.
• A student can apply for the fellowship courses for which his/her broad or super specialty qualification/ equivalent qualification is eligible, at the time of online submission of the application form.
• The total duration of the question paper will be 105 minutes (Part A - 45 minutes and Part B - 60 minutes).
• QUALIFYING CRITERIA: Students who obtain a minimum of 50th Percentile in their respective question paper/specialty shall be declared as “Qualified”.
• NBEMS shall declare a specialty-wise merit list i.e., there will be a separate merit list for each fellowship course. There shall not be any equating/scaling and normalization. The merit shall be generated strictly based on marks obtained by the student and the application of the prescribed tie-breaking criteria.
• The admission to Fellowship courses in the accredited hospitals shall be undertaken solely based on merit-based counseling conducted by NBEMS.
• Documents required to be produced at the time of counseling: MBBS Degree Certificate and MD/MS/DNB/DM/MCh/DrNB Degree Certificate/Provisional Pass Certificate of eligible Post Graduate Medical Qualification issued.

Fees Structure

The fee structure for FNB Infectious Diseases varies from accredited institute/hospital to hospital. The fee is generally less for Government Institutes and more for private institutes. The average fee structure for FNB Infectious Diseases is around Rs.1,25,000 per year.

Colleges offering FNB Infectious Diseases

Various accredited institutes/hospitals across India offer courses for pursuing FNB Infectious Diseases.

As per the National Board of Examinations website, the following accredited institutes/hospitals are offering FNB Infectious Diseases courses for the academic year 2022-23.

 Syllabus

FNB in Infectious Diseases is a two years specialization course that provides training in the stream of Infectious Diseases.

The course content for FNB Infectious Diseases is given in the NBE Curriculum released by the National Board of Examinations, which can be assessed through the link mentioned below:

Syllabus:

The Clinical Experience: The clinical experiences afforded to ID fellow trainees include opportunities to observe and manage patients with a wide variety of infectious diseases on both an inpatient and an ambulatory basis. The program requires 24 months minimum of 20 months of supervised clinical rotations and 4 months for thesis/electives.

1. Inpatient Rotations: After the required months of clinical time, the Infectious Disease fellow will have provided consultative services for an average number of inpatients.

a. General ID Consult Service

i. The ID Fellow will evaluate patients with acute and chronic infectious diseases across the entire spectrum of the specialty.

ii. The ID Fellow will learn the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to these patients.

iii. The ID Fellow will learn to communicate recommendations with other healthcare providers in both written and oral form.

iv. The ID Fellow will learn to facilitate the provision of care within the health care system and will learn to recognize system problems and methods to improve health care delivery.

b. Clinical Microbiology Rotation

The training experience in clinical microbiology is a 1-month rotation that takes place in the clinical microbiology laboratory. The ID Fellows are expected to be available from Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm with exceptions for clinic assignments. During this time, ID Fellows will participate in structured rotations at the different benches in the clinical microbiology laboratory including, primary plating, subculturing, susceptibility testing, blood cultures, respiratory, urines, miscellaneous, anaerobes, mycology, mycobacteriology, parasitology, virology, and molecular microbiology. They will learn from the medical technologists the basic principles and practices in clinical microbiology and the capabilities of the laboratory. ID Fellows are also expected to participate in daily microbiology laboratory rounds with the laboratory directors and residents and fellows. Current problems, unusual findings, and instructive examples are the basis for discussion at laboratory rounds. Laboratory rounds also include a discussion of the integration of the microbiology laboratory into the health care system and the prevention of system errors. Fellows actively contribute to developing solutions and problem-solving in this area. In addition, Fellows should attend the weekly clinical pathology conference. This case-based conference integrates all areas of laboratory medicine.

1. The ID fellow will develop a better understanding of how the clinical microbiology laboratory operates and how to use it effectively to establish a specific etiological diagnosis, select the most effective antimicrobial therapy, and improve the delivery of care within the health system.

2. The ID Fellow will develop competency in interpreting Gram’s stains as well as familiarity with the interpretation of other special stains (e.g., KOH, AFB) from clinical specimens.

3. The ID Fellow will become familiar with the use of growth media employed in the evaluation of respiratory, urine, wound, genital and stool specimens

4. The ID Fellow will understand methods used to cultivate fungal and acid-fast organisms. The ID Fellow will recognize the appearance of common organisms on culture plates (beta-hemolytic streptococci, Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus species, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, swarming Proteus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa).

5. The ID Fellow will become familiar with blood culture methodology.

6. The ID Fellow will become familiar with such automated equipment used in the clinical microbiology laboratory such as the Microscan or Vitek diagnostic systems and the MALDI-TOF.

7. The ID Fellow will understand methods used for Kirby-Bauer and Microdilution (MIC) susceptibility testing.

8. The ID Fellow will become familiar with parasitology and virology.

9. The ID Fellow will become familiar with flow cytometry studies (CD4 lymphocyte counts) and relevant immunology testing.

10. The ID Fellow will understand aspects and basic principles of molecular biology as they pertain to services offered by a clinical microbiology laboratory (i.e., molecular diagnostic tests).

c. Transplant ID

The patient mix should include patients' status post solid organ transplantation, patients listed for consideration for solid organ transplantation, patients with leukemia or lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy, patients undergoing stem cell transplantation, and patients with cystic fibrosis. Teaching will take place at attending rounds and will include a review of specified didactic topics. The Fellow is expected to attend all the required divisional conferences and to attend daily microbiology rounds as often as possible. All care is supervised by the attending physician assigned.

The ID Fellow will gain experience in the evaluation and management of transplant recipients, neutropenic patients, and patients with cystic fibrosis. The Fellow will be made aware of new controversies in the diagnosis and management of opportunistic infections and how immunomodulating medications affect the risk of individual infections.

1. The ID Fellow will learn to evaluate and manage patients pre- and post-transplant.

2. The Fellow will learn the appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for these patients.

3. The ID Fellow will gain an understanding of the organ procurement system in the United States

4. The ID Fellow will learn how to work within a broad, multidisciplinary team to facilitate patient care.

5. The ID fellow will gain an understanding of those issues unique to transplantation and transplant infectious disease, including, but not limited to:

a. Graft rejection

b. Graft vs. Host Disease

c. Immunosuppressive medications and toxicities.

d. Diagnosis of Opportunistic Infections

i. CMV

ii. Invasive fungal disease

iii. Respiratory viruses

iv. EBV and PTLD

v. Other Herpesviruses

vi. Polyomavirus

vii. Bacterial infections common to the transplant recipient

viii. Other Opportunistic infections

e. Treatment of Opportunistic Infections as mentioned in i - viii

f. Prevention and prophylaxis of Opportunistic Infections g. Pre-transplantation evaluation

6. The ID Fellow will be able to formulate a comprehensive approach to the evaluation of pre-transplant patients, including obtaining a complete and accurate medical history with appropriate details about infectious disease exposures and other screening considerations.

d. HIV Care

The ID Fellow will take care of patients with HIV and be admitted for complications related to HIV infection or HIV medications, opportunistic infections, or any other acute medical issues. ID Fellows play a significant teaching role in this service. Infection Control

1. All Infectious Disease Fellows will participate in a longitudinal experience designed to introduce the Fellows to the concepts of infection control and prevention and develop the ability to analyze infection outbreaks and design interventions. Fellows are expected to attend infection control and antimicrobial stewardship committee meetings, attend didactic sessions on basic principles of infection control and prevention, and participate in an infection control workshop similar to the SHEA course or its equivalent. The ID Fellow will learn the principles of hospital epidemiology and infection control and will be able to apply them appropriately to patients under their care.

2. The ID Fellow will understand antimicrobial stewardship, approaches to changing practice, and the consequences of ineffective stewardship.

3. The ID Fellow will understand the roles and responsibilities of the infection control team and the role of the hospital epidemiologist in the management of the effort.

4. The ID Fellow will learn to evaluate and manage patients with latent TB infection or proven or probable active TB infection.

5. The ID Fellow will learn the appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for these patients.

6. The ID Fellow will learn about public health resources and public health considerations for tuberculosis-infected patients.

7. The ID Fellow will understand the approach to antimicrobial therapy and the pharmacologic properties of antimicrobial treatment, especially among agents that are commonly used to treat patients with HIV-related opportunistic infections.

8. The ID Fellow will understand the mechanisms of and the approach to antiretroviral therapy, including indications, side effects, resistance, and drug interactions

9. The ID Fellow will develop an increased understanding of the pathophysiology of HIV infection and AIDS.

10. The ID Fellow will learn appropriate diagnostic possibilities, laboratory testing, and treatment of infectious diseases among HIV-infected inpatients.

11. The ID Fellow will understand the pathophysiology of common opportunistic infections affecting those infected with HIV.

Outpatient Clinic

The ID fellow will be expected to see patients in the outpatient, to manage acute and chronic diseases related to the field of infectious diseases

Technical and other skills

The ID training program provides practical experience or instruction in the cognitive aspects of the following:

a. Mechanisms of action and adverse reactions of antimicrobial agents; the conduct of pharmacologic studies to determine absorption and excretion of antimicrobial agents; methods of determining antimicrobial activity of a drug; techniques to determine the concentration of antimicrobial agents in the blood and other body fluids; the appropriate use and management of antimicrobial agents in a variety of clinical settings, including the hospital, ambulatory practice, and the home.

b. The utility of procedures for specimen collection relevant to Infectious disease, including but not limited to bronchoscopy, thoracentesis, arthrocentesis, lumbar puncture, and aspiration of abscess cavities, including soft-tissue infections. The utility of diagnostics tests includes traditional microbiologic tests as well as molecular diagnostic tests.

c. Principles and practice of hospital infection control and healthcare epidemiology [through lectures in the didactic, attendance at hospital infection control meetings and/or the Society for Hospital Epidemiology of America (SHEA Conference)] or

Hospital Infectious Control Society or its equivalent.

d. Principles of chemoprophylaxis and immunoprophylaxis to enhance resistance.

e. Mechanisms of action of biological products, including monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, interferons, interleukins, and colony-stimulating factors, and their

applications in the treatments of infectious diseases or their role in enhancing the immune response.

f. Interpretation of Gram’s stains, other special stains, blood culture methodology, methods of determining susceptibility testing, and basic principles of molecular biology as it relates to services offered by the clinical microbiology laboratory.

Additional Formal Instruction Additional specific content areas that are included in the formal training program (through the didactic course, clinical and research conferences, and seminars) include

a. the factors that determine the outcome between host and parasite, including microbial virulence factors and host defense mechanisms.

b. basic concepts of immunology.

c. the epidemiology, clinical course, manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of major infectious agents including viruses, chlamydiae, mycoplasma and ureaplasma, rickettsioses, and bacteria including spirochetes and mycobacteria, mycoses, protozoa, and helminths.

d. bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases

e. health outcomes, quality assurance, and improvement and cost containment in the clinical practice of infectious diseases.

f. critical assessment of the medical literature, medical informatics, clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, and research methodology g. hospital epidemiology and infection control.

Fellows will have the following responsibilities:

• Provision of inpatient consultations for suspected Infectious Diseases in the various medical and surgical disciplines, including some pediatric and geriatric experience,

• Provision of ambulatory Infectious Diseases care and consultation, to include a one half-day per week infectious diseases continuity and consultative clinic, with a panel of HIV-1 infected continuity care patients. There will also be ambulatory experience with a sexually transmissible disease clinic and a travel clinic. New patients for the continuity clinic are not pre-selected by disease type, but consist of a mix of HIV-1 infected continuity patients, home health care patients, patients with sexually transmitted diseases, and patients with general infectious disease problems. Fellows are assigned new patients and expected to follow these patients during the entire training period. Additionally, fellows will follow patients whom they have seen as inpatients while on the Infectious Diseases consult service. Examples of patients for the ambulatory clinic may include but are not limited to patients with osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, infective endocarditis, and post-surgical infections, among others. The program will assure that there is a gender balance among these patients.

• Rotation in the Microbiology laboratory, inclusion on the Infection Control Committee, and involvement in the ongoing program of antibiotic stewardship.

The detail of these responsibilities will follow.

• Attendance and participation by each fellow in the weekly clinical case conference and the weekly core curriculum didactic conference, the monthly research conference, and the journal club. In addition, attendance at the weekly Internal Medicine Grand Rounds is recommended.

• Proficiency in procedures commonly utilized as a part of the evaluation of patients with Infectious Diseases problems.

• Occasionally trainees may do lumbar punctures, skin biopsies, or aspiration of abscesses; in these procedures, the trainee should be competent.

• Trainees are expected to review Gram stains, histopathology of biopsy specimens, cytology, and pertinent radiographs of the patients whom they are

managing or for whom they are providing consultation. Fellows are expected to follow the department’s procedure protocols in performing these procedures (see

attached protocols).

• Availability for calls from home, with a faculty member serving as a backup.

Fellow trainees and faculty are expected to respond to calls/messages within 15 minutes unless exceptional circumstances prevail. All trainees have at least one day in seven (on average) free from clinical duties and without pager calls.

• Participation in research is expected for each trainee. The Infectious Disease Section expects the preparation of at least one manuscript suitable for publication or submission of at least one abstract to a regional, national, or international meeting before the completion of the two-year training period.

• Effective communication regarding patient care between faculty and fellows is essential. When complex decisions are addressed, fellows are required to contact faculty in person or by phone. Faculty supervision occurs continuously. At least during the initial half of the first year of training, fellows must review all changes in therapy or recommendations for invasive procedures with the faculty attending before making the recommendation to another physician. By the second year of fellowship, assuming that the trainee has made satisfactory progress, fellows are given graduated levels of responsibility enabling them to make recommendations if he/she is comfortable and confident in the recommendation.

• Despite this graduated responsibility, fellow recommendations must be reviewed with the supervising faculty member within 24 hours. Trainees are encouraged to contact the attending physician at any time, day or night. This type of supervision applies to inpatient and outpatient care, home health care management, and phone calls from outside physicians or family members. Direct or indirect supervision by a faculty member is expected for all procedures.

Structure:

First-year:

10-11 months-clinical postings with ID consultants 1-2 months- Microbiology lab rotation

1 month- identification of research protocol

Second year:

6 months-clinical postings with ID consultants

1 month- rotation through a government public health or communicable disease hospital

2 months- elective rotations including transplant and tropical infectious disease, and

infection control course

2 month- Microbiology lab rotation with emphasis on a specialized area pertinent to

research protocol

1 month- research protocol completion.

Basic Principles in the Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Diseases

1. MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS

1. A Molecular Perspective of Microbial Pathogenicity

2. Microbial Adherence

3. Toxins

2. HOST DEFENSE MECHANISMS

1. Innate (General or Nonspecific) Host Defense Mechanisms

2. Human Genetics and Infection

3. Antibodies

4. Complement

5. Granulocytic Phagocytes

6. Cell-Mediated Defense against Infection

7. Nutrition, Immunity, and Infection

8. Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Synbiotics

9. Evaluation of the Patient with Suspected Immunodeficiency

3. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

1. Epidemiologic Principles

2. Outbreak Investigation

3. Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Disease Threats

4. Hospital Preparedness for Emerging and Highly Contagious Infectious

Diseases: Getting Ready for the Next Epidemic or Pandemic

4. CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY

1. The Clinician and Microbiology

5. ANTI-INFECTIVE THERAPY

1. Principles of Anti-infective Therapy

2. Molecular Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria

3. Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Anti-infective Agents

4. Penicillin and β-Lactam Inhibitors

5. Cephalosporins

6. Carbapenems and Monobactams

7. β-Lactam

8. Fusidic Acid

9. Aminoglycosides

10. Tetracyclines and Chloramphenicol

11. Rifamycins

12. Metronidazole

13. Macrolides, Clindamycin, and Ketolides

14. Glycopeptides (Vancomycin and Teicoplanin), Streptogramins (QuinupristinDalfopristin), and Lipopeptides (Daptomycin)

15. Polymyxins (Polymyxin B and Colistin)

16. Linezolid and Other Oxazolidinones

17. Sulfonamides and Trimethoprim

18. Quinolones

19. Novel Antibiotics

20. Urinary Tract Agents: Nitrofurantoin and Methenamine

21. Topical Antibacterials

22. Antimycobacterial Agents

23. Systemic Antifungal Agents

24. Antiviral Drugs (Other Than Antiretrovirals)

25. Immunomodulators

26. Hyperbaric Oxygen

27. Agents Active against Parasites and Pneumocystis

28. Alternative Medicines for Infectious Diseases

29. Antimicrobial Stewardship

30. Interpreting the Results of Clinical Trials of Antimicrobial Agents

31. Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy

32. Tables of Antimicrobial Agent Pharmacology

33. Major Clinical syndromes

6. FEVER

1. Temperature Regulation and the Pathogenesis of Fever

2. Fever of Unknown Origin

3. The Acutely Ill Patient with Fever and Rash

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS

1. The Common Cold

2. Pharyngitis

3. Acute Laryngitis

4. Acute Laryngotracheobronchitis (Croup

5. Otitis Externa, Otitis Media, and Mastoiditis

6. Sinusitis

7. Epiglottitis

8. Infections of the Oral Cavity, Neck, and Head

8. PLEUROPULMONARY AND BRONCHIAL INFECTIONS

1. Acute Bronchitis

2. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Acute Exacerbations

3. Bronchiolitis

4. Acute Pneumonia

5. Pleural Effusion and Empyema

6. Bacterial Lung Abscess

7. Chronic Pneumonia

8. Cystic Fibrosis

9. URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

1. Urinary Tract Infections

10. SEPSIS

1. Sepsis, Severe Sepsis, and Septic Shock

11. INTRA-ABDOMINAL INFECTION

1. Peritonitis and Intraperitoneal Abscesses

2. Infections of the Liver and Biliary System

3. Pancreatic Infection

4. Splenic Abscess

5. Appendicitis

6. Diverticulitis and Typhlitis

12. CARDIOVASCULAR INFECTIONS

1. Endocarditis and Intravascular Infections

2. Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis

3. Infections of Nonvalvular Cardiovascular Devices

4. Prevention of Infective Endocarditis

5. Myocarditis and Pericarditis

6. Mediastinitis

13. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INFECTIONS

1. Approach to the Patient with Central Nervous System Infection

2. System Infection

3. Acute Meningitis

4. Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Infections

5. Chronic Meningitis

6. Encephalitis

7. Brain Abscess

8. Subdural Empyema, Epidural Abscess, and

9. Suppurative Intracranial thrombophlebitis

14. SKIN AND SOFT TISSUE INFECTIONS

1. Cellulitis, Necrotizing Fasciitis, and Subcutaneous Tissue Infections

2. Myositis and Myonecrosis

3. Lymphadenitis and Lymphangitis

15. GASTROINTESTINAL INFECTIONS AND FOOD POISONING

1. Principles and Syndromes of Enteric Infection

2. Esophagitis

3. Nausea, Vomiting, and Noninflammatory Diarrhea

4. Antibiotic-Associated Colitis

5. Inflammatory Enteritides

6. Enteric Fever and Other Causes of Abdominal Symptoms with Fever

7. Foodborne Disease

8. Tropical Sprue: Enteropathy

9. Whipple’s Disease

16. BONE AND JOINT INFECTIONS

1. Infectious Arthritis of Native Joints

2. Osteomyelitis

3. Infections with Prostheses in Bones and Joints

17. DISEASES OF THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS AND SEXUALLY

TRANSMITTED DISEASES

1. Genital Skin and Mucous Membrane Lesions

2. Urethritis

3. Vulvovaginitis and Cervicitis

4. Infections of the Female Pelvis

5. Prostatitis, Epididymitis, and Orchitis

18. EYE INFECTIONS

1. Microbial Conjunctivitis

2. Microbial Keratitis

3. Endophthalmitis

4. Infectious Causes of Uveitis

5. Periocular Infections

19. HEPATITIS

1. Acute Viral Hepatitis

2. Chronic Viral Hepatitis

20. ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME

1. Global Perspectives on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

2. Epidemiology and Prevention of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Human

3. Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

4. Diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

5. The Immunology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

6. General Clinical Manifestations of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (Including Acute Retroviral Syndrome and Oral, Cutaneous, Renal, Ocular, metabolic, and Cardiac Diseases)

7. Pulmonary Manifestations of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

8. Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Manifestations of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

9. Neurologic Diseases Caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and Opportunistic Infections

10. Malignant Diseases in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

11. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Women

12. Pediatric Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection

13. Antiretroviral Therapy for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

14. Management of Opportunistic Infections Associated with

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

15. Vaccines for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Infection

21. MISCELLANEOUS SYNDROMES

1. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

2. Infectious Diseases and their Etiologic agents

22. VIRAL DISEASES

1. Introduction to Viruses and Viral Diseases

2. Orthopoxviruses: Vaccinia (Smallpox Vaccine), Variola (Smallpox),

Monkeypox, and Cowpox

3. Other Poxviruses That Infect Humans: Parapoxviruses, Molluscum

Contagiosum, and Yatapoxviruses

4. Introduction to Herpesviridae

5. Varicella-Zoster Virus

6. Cytomegalovirus

7. Epstein-Barr Virus (Infectious Mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr Virus–Associated

Malignant Diseases, and Other Diseases)

8. Human Herpesvirus Types 6 and 7

9. Kaposi’s Sarcoma–Associated Herpesvirus (Human Herpesvirus Type 8)

10. Herpes B Virus

11. Adenoviruses

12. Papillomaviruses

13. JC, BK, and Other Polyomaviruses: Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy

14. Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis Delta Virus

15. Human Parvoviruses, Including Parvovirus B19 and Human Bocavirus

16. Orthoreoviruses and Orbiviruses

17. Coltiviruses and Seadornaviruses

18. Rotaviruses

19. Alphaviruses

20. Rubella Virus (German Measles)

21. Flaviviruses (Yellow Fever, Dengue, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, Japanese

Encephalitis, West Nile Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, TickBorneEncephalitis)

22. Hepatitis C

23. Coronaviruses, Including SevereAcute Respiratory Syndrome

(SARS)– Associated Coronavirus

24. Parainfluenza Viruses

25. Mumps Virus

26. Respiratory Syncytial Virus

27. Human Metapneumovirus

28. Measles Virus (Rubeola)

29. Zoonotic Paramyxoviruses: Nipah, Hendra, and Menangle Viruses

30. Vesicular Stomatitis Virus and Related Vesiculoviruses

31. Rhabdoviruses

32. Marburg and Ebola Virus Hemorrhagic Fevers

33. Influenza Viruses, Including Avian Influenza and Swine Influenza

34. California Encephalitis, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and Bunyavirid Hemorrhagic Fevers

35. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus, Lassa Virus, and the South American HemorrhagicFevers

36. Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Types I and II

37. Human Immunodeficiency Viruses

38. Introduction to the Enteroviruses andParechoviruses

39. Poliovirus

40. Coxsackieviruses, Echoviruses, Newer Enteroviruses, and Parechoviruses

41. Hepatitis A Virus

42. Rhinovirus

43. Noroviruses and Other Caliciviruses

44. Astroviruses and

45. Hepatitis E Virus

23. PRION DISEASES

1. Prions and Prion Diseases of the Central Nervous System (Transmissible Neurodegenerative Diseases)

24. CHLAMYDIAL DISEASES

1. Introduction to Chlamydia and Chlamydophila

2. Chlamydia trachomatis (Trachoma, Perinatal Infections, Lymphogranuloma Venereum, and Other Genital Infections)

3. Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) psittaci (Psittacosis)

4. Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae

25. MYCOPLASMA DISEASES

1. Introduction to Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma

2. Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Atypical Pneumonia

3. Genital Mycoplasmas: Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma Species

26. RICKETTSIOSES, EHRLICHIOSES, AND ANAPLASMOSIS

1. Introduction to Rickettsioses, Ehrlichioses, and Anaplasmosis

2. Rickettsia rickettsii and Other Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Other Spotted Fevers)

3. Rickettsia akari (Rickettsialpox)

4. Coxiella burnetii (Q Fever)

5. Rickettsia prowazekii (Epidemic or Louse-Borne Typhus)

6. Rickettsia typhi (Murine Typhus)

7. Orientia tsutsugamushi (Scrub Typhus)

8. Ehrlichia chaffeensis (Human Monocytotropic Ehrlichiosis), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Human Granulocytotropic Anaplasmosis), and Other Anaplasmataceae

27. BACTERIAL DISEASES

1. Introduction to Bacteria and Bacterial Diseases

2. Staphylococcus aureus (Including Staphylococcal Toxic Shock)

3. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Other Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

4. Classification of Streptococci

5. Streptococcus pyogenes

6. Nonsuppurative Poststreptococcal Sequelae: Rheumatic Fever

and Glomerulonephritis

7. Streptococcus pneumonia

8. Enterococcus Species, Streptococcus bovis Group, and Leuconostoc Species

9. Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus)

10. Viridans Streptococci, Groups C and G Streptococci, and Gemella Species

11. Streptococcus anginosus Group

12. Corynebacterium diphtheriae

13. Listeria monocytogenes

14. Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax)

15. Bacillus Species and Related Genera Other than Bacillus anthracis

16. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

17. Neisseria meningitidis

18. Neisseria gonorrhoeae

19. Moraxella catarrhalis, Kingella, and Other Gram-Negative Cocci

20. Vibrio cholerae

21. Other Pathogenic Vibrios

22. Campylobacter jejuni and Related Species

23. Helicobacter pylori and Other Gastric Helicobacter Species

24. Enterobacteriaceae

25. Pseudomonas aeruginosa

26. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Burkholderia capacity Complex

27. Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei: Melioidosis and Glanders

28. Acinetobacter Species

29. Salmonella Species, Including Salmonella Typhi

30. Shigella Species (Bacillary Dysentery)

31. Haemophilus Species (Including H. influenza and Chancroid)

32. Brucella Species

33. Francisella tularensis (Tularemia)

34. Pasteurella Species

35. Yersinia Species, Including Plague

36. Bordetella pertussis

37. Rat-Bite Fever: Streptobacillus moniliformis and Spirillum minus

38. L 39. Other Legionella Species

40. Capnocytophaga

41. Bartonella, Including Cat-Scratch Disease

42. Klebsiella granulomatis (Donovanosis, Granuloma Inguinale)

43. Other Gram-Negative and Gram-Variable Bacilli

44. Treponema pallidum (Syphilis)

45. Endemic Treponematoses

46. Leptospira Species (Leptospirosis)

47. Borrelia Species (Relapsing Fever)

48. Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme Disease, Lyme Borreliosis)

49. Anaerobic Infections: General Concepts

50. Clostridium tetani (Tetanus)

51. Clostridium botulinum (Botulism)

52. Gas Gangrene and Other Clostridium-Associated Diseases

53. Bacteroides, Prevotella, Porphyromonas, and Fusobacterium Species (and

Other Medically Important Anaerobic Gram-Negative Bacilli)

54. Anaerobic Cocci

55. Anaerobic Gram-Positive Nonsporulating Bacilli

56. Mycobacterium tuberculosis

57. Mycobacterium leprae

58. Mycobacterium avium Complex

59. Infections Due to Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Other than Mycobacterium avium-intracellular

60. Nocardia Species

61. Agents of Actinomycosis

28. MYCOSES

1. Introduction to Mycoses

2. Candida Species

3. Aspergillus Species

4. Agents of Mucormycosis and Entomophthoramycosis

5. Sporothrix schenckii

6. Agents of Chromoblastomycosis

7. Agents of Mycetoma

8. Cryptococcus neoformans

9. Histoplasma capsulatum

10. Blastomyces dermatitidis

11. Coccidioides Species Dermatophytosis and Other Superficial Mycoses

12. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

13. Uncommon Fungi and Prototheca

14. Pneumocystis Species

15. Microsporidiosis

29. PROTOZOAL DISEASES

1. Introduction to Protozoal

2. Entamoeba Species, Including Amebiasis

3. Free-Living Amebas

4. Plasmodium Species (Malaria)

5. Leishmania Species: Visceral (Kala-Azar), Cutaneous, and Mucosal Leishmaniasis

6. Trypanosoma Species (American Trypanosomiasis, Chagas’ Disease): Biology of Trypanosomes

7. Agents of African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)

8. Toxoplasma gondii

9. Giardia lamblia

10. Trichomonas vaginalis

11. Babesia Species

12. Cryptosporidium Species

13. Cyclospora cayetanensis, Isospora belli, Sarcocystis Species, Balantidium coli, and Blastocystis hominis

30. DISEASES DUE TO TOXIC ALGAE

1. Human Illnesses Associated with Harmful Algal Blooms

31. DISEASES DUE TO HELMINTHS

1. Introduction to Helminth Infections

2. Intestinal Nematodes (Roundworms)

3. Tissue Nematodes, Including Trichinellosis, Dracunculiasis, and the Filariasis

4. Trematodes (Schistosomes and Other Flukes)

5. Cestodes (Tapeworms)

6. Visceral Larva Migrans and Other Unusual Helminth Infections

32. ECTOPARASITIC DISEASES

1. Introduction to Ectoparasitic Diseases

2. Lice (Pediculosis)

3. Scabies

4. Myiasis and Tungiasis

5. Mites, Including Chiggers

6. Ticks, Including Tick Paralysis

33. DISEASES OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY

1. Kawasaki Syndrome

2. Special problems

34. NOSOCOMIAL INFECTIONS

1. Organization for Infection Control

2. Isolation

3. Disinfection, Sterilization, and Control of Hospital Waste

4. Infections Caused by Percutaneous Intravascular Devices

5. Nosocomial Pneumonia

6. Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infections

7. Nosocomial Hepatitis and Other Transfusion- and TransplantationTransmitted Infections

8. Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Health Care Settings

9. Nosocomial Herpesvirus Infections

35. INFECTIONS IN SPECIAL HOSTS

1. Infections in the Immunocompromised Host: General Principles

2. Prophylaxis and Empirical Therapy of Infection in Cancer Patients

3. Risk Factors and Approaches to Infections in Transplant Recipients

4. Infections in Recipients of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

5. Infections in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

6. Infections in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

7. Infections in the Elderly

8. Infections in Asplenic Patients

9. Infections in Injection Drug User

36. SURGICAL AND TRAUMA-RELATED INFECTIONS

1. Surgical Site Infections and Antimicrobial Prophylaxis

2. Burns

3. Bites

37. IMMUNIZATION

1. Immunization

38. BIODEFENSE

1. Bioterrorism: An Overview

2. Plague as a Bioterrorism Weapon

3. Francisella tularensis (Tularemia) as an Agent of Bioterrorism

4. Smallpox as an Agent of Bioterrorism

5. Anthrax as an Agent of Bioterrorism

6. Botulinum Toxin as a Biological Weapon

7. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers as Agents of Bioterrorism

39. ZOONOSES

1. Zoonoses

40. PROTECTION OF TRAVELERS

1. Protection of Travelers

2. Infections in Returning Travelers

41. Antimicrobials:

1. Beta lactams

2. Carbapenems

3. Other antibacterial agents

4. Antifungal agents

5. Antiviral agents

6. Antiparasitic agents (protozoa, metazoa)

7. Microbiologic techniques (blood cultures, etc.)

8. Components of human immunity to microbes

9. Fever, thermoregulation, FUO

10. Staphylococcus sp., infections related thereto

11. Streptococcus sp., infections related thereto

12. Other Gram-positive organisms, infections

13. Gram-negative organisms; anaerobic organisms and their infections

14. Miscellaneous bacteria (Legionella sp., Actinomycetales)

15. Mycobacteria sp.

16. Fungal infections (systemic, cutaneous; normal, and compromised hosts)

17. Viral infections

18. RNA

19. DNA

20. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/p>

21. HIV-1 infection, pathogenesis, complications

22. Prion diseases

23. Mycoplasma, Chlamydial infections

24. Rickettsioses

25. Spirochetal infections (syphilis, Lyme disease, etc.)

26. Protozoa

27. Metazoa

28. Health Care-associated Infections

29. Infections in compromised hosts (transplant, neutropenia)

30. Travel Medicine; bioterrorism

31. STDs - ulcerative, vaginitis

32. Prostatitis, epididymitis, orchitis

33. Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) due to infection (sepsis)

34. Infective endocarditis and intra-vascular infections

35. Ophthalmologic, ENT infections, and URIs

36. Bronchitis, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and pleural infections

37. Hepatitis (A to G)

38. Abdominal infections (biliary, abscesses, peritonitis)

39. Diarrhea, food poisoning, C difficile infection, Whipple's Disease

40. Urinary tract infections (upper and lower tract)

41. Encephalitis, meningitis, brain abscess, CSF shunt infections

42. Cellulitis, soft tissue infections

43. Osteomyelitis, septic arthritis

44. OB/GYN infections

45. Pediatric infections

46. Immunizations

47. Antibiotic prophylaxis

42. Other areas in which knowledge is to be acquired:

1. Biostatistics, Research Methodology, and Clinical Epidemiology

2. Ethics

3. Medico-legal aspects relevant to the discipline

4. Health Policy issues as may apply to the discipline

Career Options

After completing FNB Infectious Diseases, candidates will get employment opportunities in Government and the Private sector.

In the Government sector, candidates have various options to choose from which include Junior research fellow, Teaching at academic medical centers, and Consultants.

While in the Private sector, the options are Fellow (Infectious diseases), Junior research fellow, Senior Research fellow (Infectious Diseases ), and Consultants.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) –FNB Infectious Diseases Course/FNB in Infectious Diseases Course

• Question: What is the complete full form of FNB?

Answer: The full form of FNB is a Fellow of National board.

• Question: What is FNB Infectious Diseases?

Answer: FNB in Infectious Diseases or Fellow of National Board in Infectious Diseases is a doctoral course for doctors in India that is done by them after completion of their postgraduate medical degree course.

• Question: What is the duration of FNB in Infectious Diseases?

Answer: FNB in Infectious Diseases is a doctoral fellowship program of two years.

• Question: What is the eligibility of FNB in Infectious Diseases?

Answer: The candidate must have an MD Tropical Medicine or DNB/MD General Medicine degree obtained from any college/university recognized by the Medical Council of India (Now NMC)/NBE. The feeder qualification is mentioned here as of 2022, For any further changes to the prerequisite requirement please refer to the NBE website.

• Question: What is the scope of FNB Infectious Diseases?

Answer: FNB Infectious Diseases offers candidates various employment opportunities and career prospects.

• Question: What is the average salary for an FNB Infectious Diseases candidate?

Answer: The FNB Infectious Diseases candidate’s average salary is between Rs.15 lakhs to Rs. 27 lakhs per annum depending on the experience.

• Question: Can you teach after completing FNB Infectious Diseases Course?

Answer: Yes, the candidate can teach in a medical college/hospital after completing the fellowship.