Publications

cutaneous leishmaniosis in a horse in southern germany caused by leishmania infantum.	this report describes a case of cutaneous leishmaniosis in a horse in southern germany. diagnosis is based on histopathology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. the protozoan was identified as leishmania infantum via pcr and restriction fragment length polymorphism. the horse did not show specific leishmania antibodies. the lesions healed completely within 6 months without any specific treatment. since neither the infected horse nor its dam had ever left their rural area, autochthonou ...	2002	12383621
[acute febrile disease with splenomegaly and pancytopenia. a 66-year-old greek patient with a prosthetic mitral valve].	we report on a 66-year-old patient originating from greece and living in germany with a prosthetic mitral valve because of a combined vitium following juvenile rheumatic fever. the patient fell ill with acute fever, splenomegaly, and pancytopenia. after unsuccessful antibiotic therapy because of presumed endocarditis or sepsis with unknown focus, visceral leishmaniasis was suspected because of recent travel to greece. subsequently, this diagnosis was confirmed by serology. considering thrombocyt ...	2007	17541531
temperature-derived potential for the establishment of phlebotomine sandflies and visceral leishmaniasis in germany.	climate change is expected to manifest in the shift of organisms to regions where they were not present in the past, potentially entailing previously unseen biological risks. however, studies evaluating these future trends are scarce. here, an important group of vectors (sandflies) and the pathogen transmitted (leishmania infantum complex) causing the infectious disease visceral leishmaniasis is investigated, focussing on potential establishment in germany during the 21st century. as the most im ...	2010	21080321
Combining climatic projections and dispersal ability: a method for estimating the responses of sandfly vector species to climate change.	BACKGROUND: In the Old World, sandfly species of the genus Phlebotomus are known vectors of Leishmania, Bartonella and several viruses. Recent sandfly catches and autochthonous cases of leishmaniasis hint on spreading tendencies of the vectors towards Central Europe. However, studies addressing potential future distribution of sandflies in the light of a changing European climate are missing. METHODOLOGY: Here, we modelled bioclimatic envelopes using MaxEnt for five species with proven or assum ...	2011	22140590
Canine antibody response to Phlebotomus perniciosus bites negatively correlates with the risk of Leishmania infantum transmission.	Phlebotomine sand flies are blood-sucking insects that can transmit Leishmania parasites. Hosts bitten by sand flies develop an immune response against sand fly salivary antigens. Specific anti-saliva IgG indicate the exposure to the vector and may also help to estimate the risk of Leishmania spp. transmission. In this study, we examined the canine antibody response against the saliva of Phlebotomus perniciosus, the main vector of Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean Basin, and characterized ...	2011	22022626
[kala azar - lethal course of visceral leishmaniasis. synchronous infection with leishmania donovani/infantum complex and leishmania major in a patient after mediterranean vacation].	infections with leishmania spp. are endemic in areas of the tropics and subtropics. an increased incidence of human infections has been reported in southern europe, where zoonotic leishmaniasis is common. the systemic, visceral infection is caused by the leishmania donovani/infantum complex and may be fatal when untreated.	2012	23064668
prognostic analytes in dogs with leishmania infantum infection living in a non-endemic area.	due to increasing numbers of dogs that are imported from, or have been visiting mediterranean countries, canine leishmaniasis has become a very important infectious disease in germany. the aim of this study was to determine which laboratory and clinical parameters can be used as prognostic factors, whether level of antibody titre is a prognostic factor, and whether treatment leads to a better prognosis in a country in which reinfection is extremely unlikely. data of 72 dogs infected with leishma ...	2012	22915680
evaluation of a conjunctival swab polymerase chain reaction for the detection of leishmania infantum in dogs in a non-endemic area.	due to the increasing numbers of dogs imported from or visiting mediterranean countries, canine leishmaniasis has become an important infectious disease in countries where natural transmission typically does not occur. although conjunctival swabs have recently been described as a useful diagnostic tool in endemic areas, their usefulness in non-endemic areas is unknown. the aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a conjunctival swab polymerase chain reaction (pcr) in ...	2013	23993391
specific k39 antibody response and its persistence after treatment in patients with imported leishmaniasis.	the sensitivity of a k39 elisa (leishmania igg, virion/serion) for the detection of antibodies in patients with imported leishmaniasis was compared with an immunofluorescence assay (ifa), which was applied as "golden standard". the retrospective study comprised 93 ifa-positive or borderline sera from 42 patients with visceral (n = 16) or cutaneous (n = 26) leishmaniasis. patients had acquired infection predominately in the mediterranean area or the middle east. the leishmania species (leishmania ...	2016	26508007