Imported leishmaniasis in Germany 2001-2004: data of the SIMPID surveillance network.

Leishmaniasis is a rare, non-notifiable disease in Germany. Epidemiological and clinical data, therefore, are scarce. Most infections seen in Germany are contracted outside the country. The German surveillance network for imported infectious diseases (Surveillance Importierter Infektionen in Deutschland, or SIPMID) recorded 42 cases of imported leishmaniasis (16 visceral, 23 cutaneous, and 3 mucocutaneous) from January 2001 to June 2004. Although most infections were acquired in European Mediterranean countries, the risk of infection was highest for travelers to Latin America. HIV coinfection was observed significantly more often in patients with visceral leishmaniasis than in patients with cutaneous/mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (31 vs. 4%, p=0.02). The median time to a definitive diagnosis was 85 days in cases of visceral leishmaniasis and 61 days in cases of cutaneous/mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, reflecting the unfamiliarity of German physicians with leishmanial infections. Visceral leishmaniasis was treated most frequently with amphotericin B, whereas cutaneous/mucocutaneous leishmaniasis was treated with a variety of local and systemic therapies. The findings presented here should serve to increase awareness as well as improve clinical management of leishmaniasis in Germany.

[Risks posed by venomous animals -- accidents due to snakebite envenomation]. / Gefahren durch Gifttiere -- Unfälle mit Giftschlangen.

In regions where poisonous animals are widely distributed, the management of injuries due to these animals is part of the routine medical care. Personnel e. g. deployed for humanitarian aid missions in these areas have to be prepared to face these challenges as well. Beside this group zoo personnel and snake charmers here in Europe are also endangered. The most common form of animal poisoning is due to snake bites. There are approximately 600 different species of poisonous snakes, commonly found in the warm climatic regions. But poisoning from spiders, scorpions and some marine animals can also be life threatening. There are different kinds of snake venoms, which result into different clinical presentations depending on the components of the venom. The venom may be cytotoxic, hematotoxic, neurotoxic, rhabdomyolytic, cardiotoxic, renotoxic or may cause an autoimmune reaction by complement activation. In the management of injuries following animal poisoning, besides the first aid measures taken, the injured is supposed to be managed according to the poison component in the venom with specific antivenin treatment and supportive therapeutic care. There are mono- and polyvalent antivenins available. Noneffective first-aid measures or measures which can cause further trauma must always be avoided. In general adapted behaviour in the field can prevent envenomation. Education on preventive measures with the aim of behaviour change are central components for pre-deployment preparations.

Epidemiology and clinical features of vivax malaria imported to Europe: sentinel surveillance data from TropNetEurop.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium vivax is the second most common species among malaria patients diagnosed in Europe, but epidemiological and clinical data on imported P. vivax malaria are limited. The TropNetEurop surveillance network has monitored the importation of vivax malaria into Europe since 1999. OBJECTIVES: To present epidemiological and clinical data on imported P. vivax malaria collected at European level. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data of primary cases of P. vivax malaria reported between January 1999 and September 2003 were analysed, focusing on disease frequency, patient characteristics, place of infection, course of disease, treatment and differences between network-member countries. RESULTS: Within the surveillance period 4,801 cases of imported malaria were reported. 618 (12.9%) were attributed to P. vivax. European travellers and immigrants were the largest patient groups, but their proportion varied among the reporting countries. The main regions of infection in descending order were the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, South America and Western and Eastern Africa, as a group accounting for more than 60% of the cases. Regular use of malaria chemoprophylaxis was reported by 118 patients. With 86 (inter-quartile range 41-158) versus 31 days (inter-quartile range 4-133) the median symptom onset was significantly delayed in patients with chemoprophylaxis (p < 0.0001). Common complaints were fever, headache, fatigue, and musculo-skeletal symptoms. All patients survived and severe clinical complications were rare. Hospitalization was provided for 60% and primaquine treatment administered to 83.8% of the patients, but frequencies varied strongly among reporting countries. CONCLUSIONS: TropNetEurop data can contribute to the harmonization of European treatment policies.

Imported Falciparum malaria in Europe: sentinel surveillance data from the European network on surveillance of imported infectious diseases.

Malaria continues to have a high morbidity rate associated among European travelers. Thorough recording of epidemiological and clinical aspects of imported malaria has been helpful in the detection of new outbreaks and areas of developing drug resistance. Sentinel surveillance of data collected prospectively since 1999 has begun within TropNetEurop, a European network focusing on imported infectious diseases. TropNetEurop appears to cover approximately 10% of all patients with malaria seen in Europe. Reports of 1659 immigrants and European patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria were analyzed for epidemiological information and data on clinical features. Regional data were quite diverse, reflecting local patterns of immigration and international travel. By far, the most infections were imported from West Africa. Europeans had more clinical complications; consequently, all deaths occurred in this group. Compared with European standards, the mortality rate was low (0.6% in Europeans). Data from TropNetEurop member sites can contribute to our understanding of the epidemiological and clinical findings regarding imported falciparum malaria.

[Complicated malaria tropica--therapy with artemether]. / Komplizierte Malaria tropica--Therapie mit Artemether.

By means of 5 case reports the successful use of an new blood schizontocide against plasmodium falciparum infections is demonstrated. The local patients with severe malaria were treated in the German UN-hospital in Cambodia. Cerebral, pulmonary and haemolytic complications dominated. Intramuscularly artemether, a synthetic Qinghaosu-derivative, was combined with already used antimalarials. All patients survived, regained consciousness and were without fever after administering artemether within 48 to 72 hours. The complications were controlled by mandatory ventilation, blood transfusions, fluid balance and blood sugar monitoring. With artemether we will get a well tolerated and quickly effective schizontocide. In order to avoid recrudenscence and fast drug resistance it should be combined with a tetracycline and in consequence supplemented through a second schizontocide.

[Temporary exertion-dependent paresthesias in agenesis of the inferior vena cava]. / Temporäre, belastungsabhängige Parästhesien bei Agenesie der Vena cava inferior.

A 23-year-old man with agenesis of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and azygos continuation had progressive, temporary, activity-dependent paraesthesias of the legs which developed after increasing sports activity as a soldier. The diagnosis was made from the chest X-ray (enlarged azygos shadow) and the computed tomogram (retro- and para-aortic space-occupying structures representing the enlarged collaterals draining the lower half of the body). There are at present no known therapeutic measures for this very rare anomaly. Management thus focuses on the prevention of complications, such as thromboses in the distal drainage channels.