High vector competence for chikungunya virus but heavily reduced locomotor activity of Aedes albopictus from Germany at low temperatures.

Background: The incidence of human infections caused by arthropod-borne viruses, such as the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), has increased globally due to a number of factors, such as climate change and globalization. The exotic mosquito species Aedes albopictus is a significant vector for CHIKV, raising concerns about its transmission potential in temperate regions, including Central Europe. We have therefore investigated the vector competence of Ae.

Absence of Malaria-Associated Coagulopathy in Asymptomatic Infection: Results From a Cross-sectional Study in the Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Background: Coagulopathy is common in acute symptomatic malaria, and the degree of coagulation abnormality correlates with parasitemia and disease severity. Chronic asymptomatic malaria has been associated with increased morbidity. However, the role of coagulation activation in asymptomatic, semi-immune individuals remains unclear.

Metagenomic Sequencing for the Diagnosis of spp. with Different Levels of Parasitemia in EDTA Blood of Malaria Patients-A Proof-of-Principle Assessment.

Molecular diagnostic approaches are increasingly included in the diagnostic workup and even in the primary diagnosis of malaria in non-endemic settings, where it is difficult to maintain skillful microscopic malaria detection due to the rarity of the disease. Pathogen-specific nucleic acid amplification, however, bears the risk of overlooking other pathogens associated with febrile illness in returnees from the tropics. Here, we assessed the discriminatory potential of metagenomic sequencing for the identification of different species with various parasitemia in EDTA blood of malaria patients.

Colitis caused by Entamoeba histolytica identified by real-time-PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.

Intestinal amoebiasis in a 35-year-old German patient with a 3 weeks travel history in Indonesia was initially misidentified as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory-drug associated colitis in colonoscopy and histopathological analysis. Furthermore, initial stool examination by microscopy and Entamoeba faecal antigen ELISA did not reveal any protozoan infection. When cessation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use and mesalazine treatment did not lead to clinical improvement, the patient presented to a specialist for tropical diseases.