Humans In Germany Research Articles

Reintroduced, but not accepted: Stakeholder perceptions of beavers in Germany

Abstract While reintroductions of regionally extinct native species usually benefit ecosystems, reintroduced animals often struggle to locate appropriate habitats where they can establish themselves without conflict with humans. European beavers (Castor fiber) were successfully reintroduced to Germany almost 60 years ago and have reached high abundances again. As beavers can damage trees and change landscapes, they are increasingly in conflict with humans. We investigated human perceptions of beavers in Germany using an online survey, as they are an example of a reintroduced species with an expanding population and potential conflicts with humans. We asked participants about their emotions (anger, fear, interest, joy) towards beavers and what they consider to be acceptable beaver habitats. Of nearly 1500 survey participants, 803 (53%) were from the general public, 475 (32%) from the agricultural sector and 219 (15%) from forestry. People in these sectors had very different perspectives: beavers were positively perceived by the general public, but negatively by stakeholders working in agriculture and forestry. Independently of stakeholder groups, we also found regional differences, as participants from Bavaria—the German state with the highest beaver densities—viewed beavers more negatively than those from the rest of Germany. Zoos and wildlife parks, as well as urban and nature conservation areas, were considered to be the most acceptable habitats for beavers, whereas survey participants did not accept private gardens and cultivated areas as beaver habitats. We discuss the sources of negative emotions towards beavers and how ecologically suitable habitats differ from those that appear acceptable by humans. Even 60 years after their reintroduction, beavers in Germany are still being recognized as both a novelty and a nuisance. Our findings highlight the need for active beaver management and increased public engagement to enable positive coexistence between beavers and humans in Germany. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Biocide Susceptibility and Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolated from Swine Feces, Pork Meat and Humans in Germany.

Phenotypic susceptibility testing of Escherichia (E.) coli is an essential tool to gain a better understanding of the potential impact of biocide selection pressure on antimicrobial resistance. We, therefore, determined the biocide and antimicrobial susceptibility of 216 extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL) and 177 non-ESBL E. coli isolated from swine feces, pork meat, voluntary donors and inpatients and evaluated associations between their susceptibilities. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG), chlorocresol (PCMC), glutaraldehyde (GDA), isopropanol (IPA), octenidine dihydrochloride and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) showed unimodal distributions, indicating the absence of bacterial adaptation to biocides due to the acquisition of resistance mechanisms. Although MIC95 and MBC95 did not vary more than one doubling dilution step between isolates of porcine and human origin, significant differences in MIC and/or MBC distributions were identified for GDA, CHG, IPA, PCMC and NaOCl. Comparing non-ESBL and ESBL E. coli, significantly different MIC and/or MBC distributions were found for PCMC, CHG and GDA. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed the highest frequency of resistant E. coli in the subpopulation isolated from inpatients. We observed significant but weakly positive correlations between biocide MICs and/or MBCs and antimicrobial MICs. In summary, our data indicate a rather moderate effect of biocide use on the susceptibility of E. coli to biocides and antimicrobials.

Travelling Heroes—A Transcultural Re-evaluation of Kurt R. Grossmann’s Unbesungene Helden (1957), an Early Compilation of Rescue Stories

Abstract This article concentrates on the first German-language compilation of ‘rescue stories’, narratives of Jews who survived the Holocaust with the help of non-Jews. While Kurt R. Grossmann’s 1957 book Die unbesungene Helden: Menschen in Deutschlands dunklen Tagen (The Unsung Heroes: Humans in Germany’s Dark Days) has received some scholarly attention, its original sources have not yet been examined. Previous research on the remembrance of the ‘rescue of Jews’ in Germany has tended to read Grossmann’s anthology within a single national—that is, German—context. This article provides a short introduction to Grossmann’s biography and the development history of The Unsung Heroes. It then traces the editorial history of four chapters in the anthology dealing with German cases: ‘Mieze’, ‘The Block Warden and the Eastern-Jewish Tailor’, ‘The Yellow Badge—A Symbol of Protest’ and ‘The Case of Schindler’. The article proposes that in light of its collection of material, its various sources and its production context of formerly German Jews in the United States, the text serves as a superb example of ‘transcultural’ remembrance or ‘travelling memory’.

Notes on Contributors

Notes on Contributors

Introduction and spread of variegated squirrel bornavirus 1 (VSBV-1) between exotic squirrels and spill-over infections to humans in Germany

ABSTRACT The variegated squirrel bornavirus 1 (VSBV-1) is a recently discovered emerging viral pathogen which causes severe and eventually fatal encephalitis in humans after contact to exotic squirrels in private holdings and zoological gardens. Understanding the VSBV-1 epidemiology is crucial to develop, implement, and maintain surveillance strategies for the detection and control of animal and human infections. Based on a newly detected human encephalitis case in a zoological garden, epidemiological squirrel trade investigations and molecular phylogeny analyses of VSBV-1 with temporal and spatial resolution were conducted. Phylogenetic analyses indicated a recent emergence of VSBV-1 in European squirrel holdings and several animal–animal and animal–human spill-over infections. Virus phylogeny linked to squirrel trade analysis showed the introduction of a common ancestor of the known current VSBV-1 isolates into captive exotic squirrels in Germany, most likely by Prevost’s squirrels (Callosciurus prevostii). The links of the animal trade between private breeders and zoos, the likely introduction pathway of VSBV-1 into Germany, and the role of a primary animal distributor were elucidated. In addition, a seroprevalence study was performed among zoo animal caretakers from VSBV-1 affected zoos. No seropositive healthy zoo animal caretakers were found, underlining a probable high-case fatality rate of human VSBV-1 infections. This study illustrates the network and health consequences of uncontrolled wild pet trading as well as the benefits of molecular epidemiology for elucidation and future prevention of infection chains by zoonotic viruses. To respond to emerging zoonotic diseases rapidly, improved regulation and control strategies are urgently needed.

High Predictive Power of Meat Juice Serology on the Presence of Hepatitis E Virus in Slaughter Pigs.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) as a zoonotic agent can be responsible for an acute hepatitis in humans, which is usually self-limiting. Progression toward a chronic stage is possible, especially in immunocompromised patients. In the past decade, the number of hepatitis E cases in humans in Germany has increased enormously to 3491 cases in 2018. Domestic pigs have been identified as a main animal reservoir and the consumption of raw and undercooked pork products, that is, livers or liver products, meat or meat products, is known as a potential risk of foodborne HEV infection. The aim of this study was to determine whether serological tests are appropriate to predict the occurrence of HEV in the liver and muscle of domestic pigs in Germany. In 2018, samples of meat juice, liver, and ham muscle were collected from 250 fattening pigs at an abattoir in North West Germany. Samples were analyzed for the presence of HEV antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay respectively for the presence of HEV RNA using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In total, 62% (155/250) of the meat juice samples were positive for HEV antibodies at a single animal basis. At herd level, 72% (18/25) of the herds were seropositive. The HEV prevalence in the liver was 17.2% (43/250). Each positive liver sample originated from seropositive herds respectively from HEV seropositive pigs. This study demonstrates for the first time the significant correlation between a positive HEV serology and the occurrence of HEV RNA in the liver of slaughter pigs (χ2 = 31.83; p < 0.001), highlighting the significant predictive power of positive serological results on the occurrence of HEV RNA in the liver.

Epidemiology of Echinococcus multi- locularis infections: A review of the present knowledge and of the situation in Germany

Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and infections of foxes, raccoon dogs and dogs as the most important definitive hosts of Echinococcus (E.) multilocularis in Central Europe remain topics of general interest. Nonetheless, the incidence in humans in Germany is low (appr. 30 reported new cases per year, maximum 56 cases in 2018). Usually, the infection does not cause any clinical signs in definitive host, whereas it is often lethal in intermediate hosts, particularly in primates. Infections with E. multilocularis occur in all parts of Germany, in particular in the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes); a total of 5602 cases were officially reported in Germany between 2004 and 2019. The epidemiological situation in the definitive hosts can be characterised as endemic and stable. We here review the present knowledge on the life cycle and biology of E. multilocularis and the epidemiological situation in Germany.

Who Can Speak and Who is Heard/Hurt? Facing Problems of Race, Racism, and Ethnic Diversity in the Humanities in Germany ed. by Mahmoud Arghavan et al.

Reviewed by: Who Can Speak and Who is Heard/Hurt? Facing Problems of Race, Racism, and Ethnic Diversity in the Humanities in Germany ed. by Mahmoud Arghavan et al. Ervin Malakaj Who Can Speak and Who is Heard/Hurt? Facing Problems of Race, Racism, and Ethnic Diversity in the Humanities in Germany. Edited by Mahmoud Arghavan, Nicole Hirschfelder, Luvena Kopp, and Katharina Motyl. Bielefeld: transcript, 2019. Pp. 300. Paper $40.00. ISBN 978-3837641035. The last five years have seen the rise of publications examining the history of and conditions for racism at German universities. This work has appeared in various contexts, including German-language newspapers, reports by public foundations, as well as academic periodicals and scholarly presses. Of note is the advocacy and scholarship of Kien Nghi Ha, Daniela Heitzmann, Kathrin Houda, and Natascha A. Kelly, among others. These scholars and scholar activists have sought to uncover the systemic features in the German education system that complicate or obstruct access to higher education for migrants and People of Color. In effect, their work sought to stimulate additional inquiry about systemic racism in German higher education, hoping to mobilize a wave of critical scholarship in the service of transformative social justice. Who Can Speak and Who is Heard/Hurt? Facing Problems of Race, Racism, and Ethnic Diversity in the Humanities in Germany is firmly positioned in this scholarly and activist landscape. Drawing on critical discourse on diversity work as well as insights from postcolonial, critical race, and decolonial theory, the volume is a comprehensive assessment of structural racism underpinning the teaching and research in the German academy's humanities disciplines. It features a comprehensive introduction and fifteen contributions by scholars and scholar activists working in the German higher education system as well as those with ties to the international academy. In the discussions and debates about systemic racism at German universities, scholarship has productively reflected a paradox also at the heart of Who Can Speak and Who is Heard/Hurt? The volume's editors and contributors make a compelling case for stronger representation of migrant scholars and scholars of color at German universities while recognizing that the racist structure itself is a toxic place for them. For the contributors to the volume, this conundrum requires multiple strategies to advance its call for social justice. On the one hand, it requires dedicated support structures for the migrant scholars and scholars of color currently employed by or enrolled in university programs. By strengthening their success rates and providing representation including at the professoriate rank, universities would strengthen a support structure for future migrant scholars and scholars of color. On the other hand—and this emerges clearly in the introduction of the volume and in select chapters—German universities are not the only place to address an issue part and parcel of the total education system leading to university studies. Of note here is that Germany's three-tiered secondary education system provides multiple structural [End Page 448] hurdles for migrant students and students of color to enter academia. As such, approaches to diversify the academy will have marginal success rates unless they entail strategies to build a secondary education system more attentive to the statuses and lived experiences of migrant students and students of color. Among the merits of the volume is its sharp critique of American studies in Germany. In particular, the editors and contributors deftly demonstrate how even though impulses from US-based American studies form a point of orientation for its German counterpart, the process falls short of embracing some of the US academy's features more conducive to transformative antiracist work: when it comes to scholar activism, the import of US-based models falls short. That is, instead of embracing critical tendencies of postcolonial, decolonial, and critical race theory and directing these to examine the epistemological and pragmatic frameworks of the university itself—as has been done in the US academy through, for example, the #BlackLivesMatter movement—American studies in Germany on the whole subscribes to a purported detached objectivism in the German idealist tradition. The volume rejects scholarly praxes claiming epistemic distance such as those enacted through an insistence on objective truth, arguing that the commitment to...

Borrelia prevalence and species distribution in ticks removed from humans in Germany, 2013–2017

Lyme borreliosis caused by spirochaetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex is the most common tick-borne disease in Europe. In addition, the relapsing-fever spirochaete Borrelia miyamotoi, which has been associated with febrile illness and meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised persons, is present in Europe. This study investigated Borrelia prevalence and species distribution in ticks removed from humans and sent as diagnostic material to the Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, in 2013-2017. A probe-based real-time PCR was carried out and Borrelia-positive samples were subjected to species determination by reverse line blot (RLB), including a B. miyamotoi-specific probe. The overall Borrelia-infection rate as determined by real-time PCR was 20.02 % (510/2547, 95 % CI: 18.48–21.63 %), with annual prevalences ranging from 17.17 % (90/524, 95 % CI: 14.04–20.68 %) in 2014 to 24.12 % (96/398, 95 % CI: 19.99–28.63 %) in 2015. In total, 271/475 (57.1 %) positive samples available for RLB were successfully differentiated. Borrelia afzelii was detected in 30.53 % of cases (145/475, 95 % CI: 26.41–34.89), followed by B. garinii/B. bavariensis (13.26 % [63/475], 95 % CI: 10.34–16.65). Borrelia valaisiana occurred in 5.89 % (28/475, 95 % CI: 3.95–8.41), B. spielmanii in 4.63 % (22/475, 95 % CI: 2.93–6.93), B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.)/B. carolinensis in 2.32 % (11/475, 95 % CI: 1.16–4.11), B. lusitaniae in 0.63 % (3/475, 95 % CI: 0.13–1.83) and B. bisettiae in 0.42 % (2/475, 95 % CI: 0.05–1.51) of positive ticks. Borrelia kurtenbachii was not detected, while B. miyamotoi was identified in 7.37 % (35/475, 95 % CI: 5.19–10.10) of real-time PCR-positive samples. Sanger sequencing of B. garinii/B. bavariensis-positive ticks revealed that the majority were B. garinii-infections (50/52 successfully amplified samples), while only 2 ticks were infected with B. bavariensis. Furthermore, 6/12 B. burgdorferi s.s./B. carolinensis-positive samples could be differentiated; all of them were identified as B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. Thirty-nine ticks (8.21 %, 95 % CI: 5.90–11.05) were coinfected with two different species. Comparison of the species distribution between ticks removed from humans in 2015 and questing ticks collected in the same year and the same area revealed a significantly higher B. afzelii-prevalence in diagnostic tick samples than in questing ticks, confirming previous observations. The obtained data indicate that Borrelia prevalence fluctuated in the same range as observed in a previous study, analysing the period from 2006 to 2012. Detection of B. miyamotoi in 7.37 % of Borrelia-positive samples points to the fact that clinicians should be aware of this pathogen as a differential diagnosis in cases of febrile illness.

Seroprevalance of Batai virus in ruminants from East Germany

Batai virus (BATV), a mosquito-transmitted Orthobunyavirus, was first detected in Southwest Germany in anopheline and culicine mosquitoes in 2009. However, little is known about the exposure to BATV infections for farm animals and humans in Germany as almost no systematic surveillance or infection studies have been carried out to date. This may explain why clinical symptoms in animals or humans have not been reported so far. Therefore and since BATV has meanwhile been detected repeatedly in different mosquito species in several regions of Germany, we performed a surveillance study by assaying more than 1300 blood samples from ruminants (goats, bovines, sheep) from six different federal states covering the years 2013 to 2016. Samples were investigated by BATV-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction as well as by virus neutralisation test. BATV-specific RNA was not detected, whereas BATV-specific antibodies were found in livestock from various geographic regions. We have determined the seroprevalence of 38.8% for goats, 44.7% for sheep and 36.4% for bovines in Saxony-Anhalt. The seroprevalence of goats from Brandenburg was 38.6% and of goats from Saxony 28.4%.These results confirm the levels of seroprevalence to BATV, suggesting endemic circulation, in different regions and indicate that ruminants are potential hosts of BATV in East Germany. Furthermore, the role of BATV as segment donor in disease emergence events should not be overlooked.

PRM137 - MODELING THE DISTRIBUTION OF TBEV-INFECTED TICKS IN GERMANY TO ESTIMATE TBE-INFECTIONS IN HUMANS

Despite effective vaccines, tick borne encephalitis (TBE) remains an important , sometimes even lethal disease in humans in Germany. The Standing Committee on Vaccination in Germany recommends vaccination of individuals living or working in and traveling to endemic areas, as defined by the Robert Koch-Institute. These "risk areas” are defined if observed human TBE incidences are significantly higher than expected (case-based risk definition) while the number of autochthonous TBE-cases outside of risk areas markedly increase in recent years. Aim of our study is to predict areas in Germany with an increased density of TBEV-infected ticks and thus, to estimate human TBE-cases (exposure-based risk definition). We developed a dynamic model to describe the vector–virus–host interaction and its spatio-temporal change. The population is divided into five different health states of “hosts” (i.e. susceptible, infected, recovered, vaccinated humans) and “vectors” (i.e. infected ticks). For each health state, a differential equation predicting the dynamics was implemented. Further, model parameters such as virus transmission or vaccination rates are defined. The model fairly accurately simulates the annual clinical TBE cases in Austria (period 1979-2017) and in Germany (period 2001-2017). Estimated Root-mean-square errors (RMSE) were 68.3 for the Austrian time series and 83.2 for the German time series. Thus far, the model is only forced by the vaccination rate, human demographics, and tick density, the latter depending on mean temperature of the preceding year and the fructification index of European beeches two years prior. The model currently predicts the smoothened time series of annual human TBE cases on a national level. It is a first step towards developing a novel, exposure-based risk map for human TBE infections. The dynamic model approach also allows testing of hypotheses, as well as forecasting. To further develop the model, several projects (e.g. German-wide tick monitoring) have been initiated.

Pharmaceutical Usage in the Context of Demographic Change

AbstractMedication residues as one kind of human‐caused trace elements affect ever more severely water resources. Owing to demographic change and a growing per capita consumption, we can expect a rapid rise in the usage of medicines in Germany. The purpose of this study is to predict the ranges of possible medicinal drug usage in Germany up to 2045, to highlight challenges for the aquatic environment, and to demonstrate preventive measures from the perspective of consumers, as well as the water and pharmaceutical industries. According to our prognoses, the usage of medicines intended for humans in Germany will increase by up to 70 percent by 2045 in the upper‐end scenario and by up to 40 percent in the lower‐end scenario compared of today.In consequence of higher medicinal usage of drugs by older population groups, demographic development and age‐related increased consumption are the principal causes of the enormous growth in medicinal drug consumption. However, a rapid per capita increase in consumption can also be expected in younger age groups.Medicinal drugs find their way into the aquatic environment in many ways. Human medicines directly reach communal wastewaters through human excretion or improper disposal via the toilet or the drain. Although there is currently no danger to human drinking water, the rising quantities of medicinal drugs in circulation should prompt us to protect the aquatic living environment and raw water resources as a whole. A holistic engagement of all stakeholders along the chain of medicinal consumption (politicians, industry, the health service, and consumers) will be necessary to avoid discharges of medicinal drugs and environmental damage.

Classification of Cowpox Viruses into Several Distinct Clades and Identification of a Novel Lineage.

Cowpox virus (CPXV) was considered as uniform species within the genus Orthopoxvirus (OPV). Previous phylogenetic analysis indicated that CPXV is polyphyletic and isolates may cluster into different clades with two of these clades showing genetic similarities to either variola (VARV) or vaccinia viruses (VACV). Further analyses were initiated to assess both the genetic diversity and the evolutionary background of circulating CPXVs. Here we report the full-length sequences of 20 CPXV strains isolated from different animal species and humans in Germany. A phylogenetic analysis of altogether 83 full-length OPV genomes confirmed the polyphyletic character of the species CPXV and suggested at least four different clades. The German isolates from this study mainly clustered into two CPXV-like clades, and VARV- and VACV-like strains were not observed. A single strain, isolated from a cotton-top tamarin, clustered distantly from all other CPXVs and might represent a novel and unique evolutionary lineage. The classification of CPXV strains into clades roughly followed their geographic origin, with the highest clade diversity so far observed for Germany. Furthermore, we found evidence for recombination between OPV clades without significant disruption of the observed clustering. In conclusion, this analysis markedly expands the number of available CPXV full-length sequences and confirms the co-circulation of several CPXV clades in Germany, and provides the first data about a new evolutionary CPXV lineage.

Insects and arachnids as elicitors of toxic and allergic reactions in Germany

Bees and wasps are the main culprits in terms of severe allergic reactions to insects in Germany; venoms from both insects are available for specific immunotherapy (SIT). Therefore, it is important to differentiate reactions to venom from other animals. It is also necessary for the sake of targeted prevention to assign sting reactions of any kind to their causal agents. By searching Medline, it was possible to identify relevant elicitors of sting and bite reactions particularly in Germany and Europe. Not only Hymenoptera stings, but also bites and stings from other insects, as well as skin contact with insect components, can cause allergic and/or toxic skin reactions. Mosquitoes, horseflies, and thrips cause local reactions. Contact with some beetles may lead to blister formation and skin inflammation. Bed bugs are becoming an increasing problem in Germany too, and introduction into the domestic environment via luggage is possible. Although spider bites can also cause reactions in humans in Germany, reactions to lice and flea bites are more common. Some caterpillars have hair and bristles that act as a defense mechanism and cause not only skin reactions, but also respiratory reactions, including asthma attacks. Ants, particularly in the US and Australia, are relevant triggers of anaphylactic reactions. Hymenoptera stings are the most common cause of systemic allergic reactions, while ants also need to be borne in mind in tropical and subtropical countries. Other insects rarely cause anaphylactic reactions. In this part of the world, numerous other insects may be the cause of local sting reactions.

Molecular characterisation of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli isolates from hospital and ambulatory patients in Germany

The increase of Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) in hospitals and their emergence as intestinal colonisers of healthy humans is of concern. Transmission ways and the extent of spread of distinct E. coli clones or ESBL genes among humans and animals via the food chain or the environment is a matter of debate.In this study we determined ESBL genotypes in E. coli isolates (n=233) resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins from hospitals and medical practices using PCR and sequencing. Bacterial strain typing was performed by PCR-based phylogrouping, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and a ST131-specific PCR. Results showed that CTX-M-15 (50.4%), CTX-M-1 (28.4%) and CTX-M-14 (5.6%) were the most common ESBL types. Especially, CTX-M-15 was associated with E. coli ST131 of phylogenetic group B2, which was the dominant sequence type among our isolates (35.8%). MLST typing revealed 40 different sequence types (STs), with ST131, ST410, ST10 and ST38 as the most prevalent ones.Our findings give an overview of the current distribution of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from humans in Germany. E. coli O25b:H4-ST131 was confirmed to be the most common clone, which is known for its successful dissemination worldwide. Although heterogeneity among the isolates was found, several successful clones previously described in animals (ST410, ST10) also occurred in our isolate collection. Further detailed investigations of ESBL-producing isolates from different habitats are needed to evaluate possible transfer ways.

Important vector-borne infectious diseases among humans in Germany. Epidemiological aspects

Vector-borne infections pathogenic to humans play an important role in Germany. The relevant zoonotic pathogens are either endemic throughout Germany (e.g. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu) or only in specific regions, e.g. tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus and hantavirus. They cause a substantial burden of disease. Prevention and control largely rely on public advice and the application of personal protective measures (e.g. TBE virus vaccination and protection against vectors). High quality surveillance and targeted epidemiological studies are fundamental for the evaluation of temporal and spatial risks of infection and the effectiveness of preventive measures. Aside from endemic pathogens, vector-borne infections acquired abroad, mostly transmitted by mosquitoes, have to be systematically and intensively monitored as well, to assess the risk of infection for German residents traveling abroad and to adequately evaluate the risk of autochthonous transmission. Related issues, such as invasive species of mosquitoes in Germany and climate change, have to be taken into consideration. Such pathogens include West Nile, dengue and chikungunya viruses, as well as malaria parasites (Plasmodium species). The article presents an overview of the epidemiological situation of selected relevant vector-borne infections in Germany.

Livestock associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) and its relevance for humans in Germany

Livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) are mainly associated with the clonal complex (CC) 398. Although having its main reservoir as MRSA in livestock such as pigs, poultry or cattle LA-MRSA CC398 has no pronounced host specificity and can colonize or infect other animals such as horses and dogs and also humans. In German conventional farming systems nasal colonization of the animals and of humans occupationally exposed to them (up to 86%) are frequent. Further human-to-human dissemination in households occurs more rarely in general (∼4% of humans living on farms but without occupational exposition). Nasal colonization with LA-MRSA of humans at hospital admission is found in 0.08–0.2% for Germany in general. However, this proportion is higher in areas with a high density of livestock production such as in northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia or Lower Saxony. LA-MRSA CC398 is not less pathogenic for humans than S. aureus in general. Hence, LA-MRSA accounts for ∼15% of all MRSA isolates from deep-seated skin and soft-tissue infections in the community and for about 0.8–2% of all MRSA isolated from clinical specimens obtained in hospital settings. When introduced into the hospital it can cause postoperative wound infections and even septicemia. Differently from hospital-associated MRSA clones, LA-MRSA CC398 has obviously limited capacity to spread in the nosocomial setting so far (proportion of ∼1.8% among MRSA from nosocomial infections, the proportion among MRSA from blood cultures is ∼1%).

Broad‐based Excellence — An Excellent Broad Base

AbstractThe decisions for the second phase of the Excellence Initiative have been made. Once again it can be seen how this competition has furthered science and humanities in Germany and will continue to do so. The decisions also bolster the universities — the heart of the science research system.

Epizootic emergence of Usutu virus in wild and captive birds in Germany

Background: Usutu virus (USUV) is an arthropod-borne, single-stranded RNA virus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis virus group within the family Flaviviridae. USUV is closely related to West Nile virus, which killed thousands of birds in North America following its emergence in 1999. In 2001, USUV caused deaths in Blackbirds (Turdus merula) and Great Grey Owls (Strix nebulosa) in Austria. Two human cases with an USUV-related neuroinvasive illness were reported from Italy. In August 2010, USUV strain 1477 was isolated from a pool of Culex pipiens pipiens mosquitoes that were trapped in southwest Germany. In contrast, all mosquitoes trapped the year before in southwest Germany tested negative for USUV and no obvious increase in the mortality of birds was observed in southwest Germany in 2009 and 2010. Since June 2011, dead Blackbirds were frequently found in southwest Germany. Thus, our study aimed to identify the causative agent of this mass mortality in wild and captive birds in southwest Germany and to gather insights into the phylogenetic relationship and spatial distribution of the pathogen. Methods: Since June 2011, 223 dead birds were collected in southwest Germany and tested for the presence of viral pathogens with real-time RT-PCRs, immunohistochemistry and isolation methods. Results: USUV RNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR in 86 birds representing 6 species. The virus was isolated in cell culture from the heart of 14 Blackbirds. USUV-specific antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in brain, heart, liver, and lung of infected Blackbirds. The complete polyprotein coding sequence was obtained by deep sequencing of liver and spleen samples of a dead Blackbird. Phylogenetic analysis of the German USUV strain revealed a close relationship with strain Vienna that caused mass mortality among birds in Austria in 2001. Wild birds from lowland river valleys in southwest Germany were mainly affected by USUV, but also birds kept in aviaries. Conclusion: Our data suggest that after the initial detection of USUV in German mosquitoes in 2010, the virus spread in 2011 and caused epizootics among wild and captive birds in southwest Germany. The data also indicate an increased risk of USUV infections in humans in Germany.

Epizootic Emergence of Usutu Virus in Wild and Captive Birds in Germany

This study aimed to identify the causative agent of mass mortality in wild and captive birds in southwest Germany and to gather insights into the phylogenetic relationship and spatial distribution of the pathogen. Since June 2011, 223 dead birds were collected and tested for the presence of viral pathogens. Usutu virus (USUV) RNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR in 86 birds representing 6 species. The virus was isolated in cell culture from the heart of 18 Blackbirds (Turdus merula). USUV-specific antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in brain, heart, liver, and lung of infected Blackbirds. The complete polyprotein coding sequence was obtained by deep sequencing of liver and spleen samples of a dead Blackbird from Mannheim (BH65/11-02-03). Phylogenetic analysis of the German USUV strain BH65/11-02-03 revealed a close relationship with strain Vienna that caused mass mortality among birds in Austria in 2001. Wild birds from lowland river valleys in southwest Germany were mainly affected by USUV, but also birds kept in aviaries. Our data suggest that after the initial detection of USUV in German mosquitoes in 2010, the virus spread in 2011 and caused epizootics among wild and captive birds in southwest Germany. The data also indicate an increased risk of USUV infections in humans in Germany.