Publications by authors named "Raulf M"

Background: Anaphylaxis is a systemic allergic reaction that is potentially life-threatening. Occupational anaphylaxis is an anaphylaxis that occurs in an occupational context. In this position paper, we propose diagnostic criteria for occupational anaphylaxis and provide an overview of the current state of knowledge in terms of prevalence, triggers, prevention, and management.

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Background: For several decades, the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) has gradually been returning to the forests of Germany, mainly in the central and southwestern regions. To increase the knowledge about this threatened species, the endoparasite status of dead found specimens from Germany was surveyed.

Methods: A total of 118 wildcats were examined for endoparasites in peritoneal organs and skeletal muscles.

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This article is an abridged version of the updated AWMF mould guideline "Medical clinical diagnostics in case of indoor mould exposure - Update 2023", presented in July 2023 by the German Society of Hygiene, Environmental Medicine and Preventive Medicine (Gesellschaft für Hygiene, Umweltmedizin und Präventivmedizin, GHUP), in collaboration with German and Austrian scientific medical societies, and experts. Indoor mould growth is a potential health risk, even if a quantitative and/or causal relationship between the occurrence of individual mould species and health problems has yet to be established. There is no evidence for a causal relationship between moisture/mould damage and human diseases, mainly because of the ubiquitous presence of fungi and hitherto inadequate diagnostic methods.

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Article Synopsis
  • Understanding the role of parasites in wildlife conservation is essential, yet studying ectoparasites in elusive species like the European wildcat poses challenges, particularly with live animals.
  • In a study involving 131 deceased wildcats in Germany, a significant 84% were found infested with ectoparasites, with ticks being the most common, affecting 72.5% of the specimens.
  • Despite the variety of ectoparasites identified, including fleas and mites, the overall health of the wildcats appeared unimpaired, suggesting that these infestations may not have a major negative impact on their populations.
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Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immune-mediated interstitial lung disease (ILD) in sensitized individuals caused by a large variety of inhaled antigens. The clinical form of acute HP is often misdiagnosed, while the chronic form, especially the chronic fibrotic HP, is difficult to differentiate from other fibrotic ILDs. The present guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of HP replaces the former German recommendations for the diagnosis of HP from 2007 and is amended explicitly by the issue of the chronic fibrotic form, as well as by treatment recommendations for the first time.

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Parasitic infections with gastrointestinal nematodes are a serious problem for the health and welfare of domestic animals and negatively affect the economics of animal production. Haemonchus contortus is a haematophagous nematode of small ruminants responsible for significant mortality and morbidity. In addition, the widespread resistance to synthetic anthelmintic drugs emphasizes the urgent need of alternative treatment options against haemonchosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The German Medicinal Products Act (AMG) allows pharmacies to prepare medicinal products, including test allergens, without needing a marketing authorization, which could help fill the diagnostic gap.
  • * The text discusses the practical and legal challenges of creating skin prick test solutions in pharmacies while exploring potential allergen sources and their implications.
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In order to ensure valid diagnostics for occupational test allergen solutions despite the ongoing reduction in the availability of commercial test extracts, a plan B was initiated for the possible production of skin prick test (SPT) solutions in public pharmacies. For important occupational allergen sources (wheat and rye, storage mites, animal epithelia, mold material) laboratory extraction methods were analyzed in comparison to pharmacy compatible extraction methods regarding protein quantity and quality in SDS-PAGE combined with silver staining. Subsequently, using the example of bovine epithelia, adapted extraction procedures as well as in-process and final product controls were transferred to a public pharmacy.

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  • The study evaluates the effectiveness of different antibody tests for diagnosing Ascaris lumbricoides infections in school children, comparing these with standard methods like copromicroscopy and quantitative PCR (qPCR).
  • The research found that copromicroscopy methods had relatively low sensitivity, while qPCR proved to be more reliable in detecting infections.
  • Specifically, the IgG1 antibody response against adult Ascaris excretory-secretory products emerged as a highly accurate diagnostic tool, indicating its potential to enhance existing diagnostic techniques for monitoring Ascaris infections.
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Occupational skin and respiratory allergies are among the most common occupational diseases in Germany. The identification of the allergy trigger is essential for the recognition of an occupational allergy as well as for effective individual prevention. However, occupational type I allergens are among the "rare" allergens and the possibilities of guideline-compliant diagnosis using quality-tested skin test solutions is becoming increasingly difficult due to the reduction in commercially available test allergens.

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Background: Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is one of the most important respiratory nematodes of felines. Infections may lead to respiratory clinical signs with varying severity or even death, emphasizing the need for preventive treatment of cats with outdoor access to circumvent patent infections.

Methods: Therefore, the preventive efficacy of a spot-on formulation of 280 mg/ml fluralaner and 14 mg/ml moxidectin (Bravecto Plus spot-on solution for cats, MSD) against A.

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  • The AllergoVet study investigates how long-term exposure to animals affects sensitization and allergic diseases in veterinary medicine students, focusing on their lifetime contact with various animal species.
  • Among the 313 participants, sensitization to common allergens was found in 38.4%, with cats, dogs, and horses showing specific sensitizations at lower rates; however, most didn’t report significant allergic symptoms.
  • Results indicated no strong links between exposure and sensitization for cats and horses; notably, those with more contact with dogs showed a decrease in dog-specific sensitizations, and farm upbringing was associated with no sensitization.
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Background: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infect more than a quarter of the world's human population. In the absence of vaccines for most animal and human gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), treatment of infections primarily relies on anthelmintic drugs, while resistance is a growing threat. Therefore, there is a need to find alternatives to current anthelmintic drugs, especially those with novel modes of action.

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Infections with liver and rumen flukes are among the most frequent parasitic diseases in cattle worldwide. In Europe, the predominant liver fluke species is Fasciola hepatica, and the recently rapidly spreading rumen flukes are mostly Calicophoron daubneyi and occasionally Paramphistomum leydeni. In this study, 1638 faecal samples from individual dairy cows from 24 northern and 18 southern German farms as well as one central German farm, all preselected for potential F.

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Sarcoptic mange was detected in five free-ranging raccoon dogs () in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, during a health assessment study of invasive species, including raccoon dogs, carried out between 2021 and 2022. Four raccoon dogs showed severe lesions, including extensive alopecia with thickening and hyperpigmentation of the skin (lichenification). The fifth animal was less affected, showing only thinning of the hair coat in multiple body locations.

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The consequences of climate change, the increasing frequency, duration and intensity of extreme events such as excessive drought, heat waves, large-scale forest fires, heavy rainfall and associated flooding also affect workers' conditions in the workplace in many ways. Allergic diseases of the respiratory tract and skin due to workplace exposure can also arise or be influenced by direct and indirect consequences of climate change. This affects outdoor workers not only through increased exposure to pollen allergens, but also through climate-related increases in typical workplace allergens.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Allergic diseases, particularly inhalation allergies, are increasing rapidly, with environmental factors and climate change significantly affecting their occurrence and severity.
  • - The article reviews various connections between climate change and allergies, including new types of pollen and occupational allergens, impacts on atopic dermatitis, and the relationship between air pollution and allergic responses.
  • - The authors emphasize the importance of proactive measures in monitoring pollen and fungal spores, understanding allergy sensitization, and improving urban planning and work environments to address these growing allergic issues.
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Occupational exposure to microbially contaminated metal working fluids (MWF) can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). An important step in the diagnosis of HP is to identify the triggering antigen by detection of corresponding specific IgG antibodies (sIgG). As commercial sIgG tests are currently not available, protein antigens were prepared from MWF-workplace samples and from MWF-typical bacterial isolates.

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Objectives: The study aimed to determine the allergen, endotoxin and β-(1,3)-glucan concentrations at various areas on a university campus of veterinary medicine.

Methods: Dust samples were collected four times a year for three years using electrostatic dust collectors (EDC) at 25 different locations on a campus of veterinary medicine and in laboratories of inorganic chemistry as a control area representing animal-free environment. Major animal allergens from dog, cat, horse, cattle and mouse, domestic mite (DM) allergens, and β-(1,3)-glucan were measured using enzyme immunoassays and endotoxin using the limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay.

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Since the discovery of immunoglobulin E (IgE) as a mediator of allergic diseases in 1967, our knowledge about the immunological mechanisms of IgE-mediated allergies has remarkably increased. In addition to understanding the immune response and clinical symptoms, allergy diagnosis and management depend strongly on the precise identification of the elicitors of the IgE-mediated allergic reaction. In the past four decades, innovations in bioscience and technology have facilitated the identification and production of well-defined, highly pure molecules for component-resolved diagnosis (CRD), allowing a personalized diagnosis and management of the allergic disease for individual patients.

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Background: In the last years, research on feline cardio-pulmonary parasites has considerably increased in Europe. Not only domestic cats (Felis catus), but also European wildcats (Felis silvestris) can serve as definitive hosts for these nematodes. The F.

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Lyme borreliosis, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) spirochaetes, is the most common tick-borne disease (TBD) in the Northern Hemisphere.

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