A cluster of Mayaro virus infections in a film team returning from Suriname, February 2024.

Mayaro virus is endemic to the tropical Americas, where the incidence is currently increasing. Like other viruses of the Semliki Forest virus serocomplex, such as , symptomatic infections are typically characterised by an acute febrile disease followed by long-lasting arthralgia. Cases in travellers are rarely reported but may be underdiagnosed.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-how common and how severe is it as a complication of malaria? Retrospective case series and review of the literature.

Background: Infection-associated secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) is a potentially life-threatening hyperinflammatory condition caused by various infectious diseases. Malaria has rarely been described as trigger. The aim of this study is to collect data on frequency, clinical spectrum, and outcome of sHLH induced by malaria.

The implementation of the Kinyoun staining technique in a resource-limited setting is feasible and reveals a high prevalence of intestinal cryptosporidiosis in patients with HIV.

Objectives: In resource-limited settings, intestinal Cryptosporidial or coccidian infections are common causes of chronic diarrhea but usually remain undiagnosed by routine stool investigation. Here, the addition of the Kinyoun staining technique after stool concentration was evaluated as an easy and inexpensive method for diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infection in patients with HIV.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated patients with HIV with diarrhea and randomly selected patients with HIV without diarrhea as controls.

Improvement of a tissue maceration technique for the determination of placental involvement in schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis in pregnancy may cause low birth weight, prematurity and stillbirth of the offspring. The placenta of pregnant women might be involved when schistosome ova are trapped in placental tissue. Standard histopathological methods only allow the examination of a limited amount of placental tissue and are therefore not sufficiently sensitive.

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and Pneumocystis jirovecii carriage in renal transplantation patients: a single-centre experience.

Background: The Pneumocystis pneumonia is an increasing problem in transplanted patients: up to 25% suffer from Pneumocystis pneumonia, occurring during the first 6 months after transplantation.

Methods: From 2001 to 2009, we investigated 21 patients with pneumonia after renal transplantation for the presence of Pneumocystis jirovecii. The laboratory diagnosis was established by Grocott and Giemsa staining methods and Pneumocystis-specific mitochondrial transcribed large subunit nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Confocal laser scanning microscopy, a new in vivo diagnostic tool for schistosomiasis.

Background: The gold standard for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis is the detection of the parasite's characteristic eggs in urine, stool, or rectal and bladder biopsy specimens. Direct detection of eggs is difficult and not always possible in patients with low egg-shedding rates. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) permits non-invasive cell imaging in vivo and is an established way of obtaining high-resolution images and 3-dimensional reconstructions.

Confocal laser scanning microscopy for detection of Schistosoma mansoni eggs in the gut of mice.

Background: The gold standard for diagnosing Schistosoma mansoni infections is the detection of eggs from stool or biopsy specimens. The viability of collected eggs can be tested by the miracidium hatching procedure. Direct detection methods are often limited in patients with light or early infections, whereas serological tests and PCR methods fail to differentiate between an inactive and persistent infection and between schistosomal species.

Schistosoma mansoni infection but not egg antigen promotes recovery from colitis in outbred NMRI mice.

Background: The ability of intestinal helminths to manipulate the immune system of their host towards a Th2 response has been proposed to modulate auto-immune and allergic diseases.

Aims: This initial study investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of S. mansoni and soluble egg antigen (SEA) in a murine model of colitis.