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What Else Besides TBE and Borreliosis? Tick-Transmitted Pathogens in Germany and Beyond

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Progress in Parasitology

Part of the book series: Parasitology Research Monographs ((Parasitology Res. Monogr.,volume 2))

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Abstract

Tick-borne diseases are an important problem in European countries. In this chapter, we review the biology and distribution of five tick-transmitted pathogens in Germany and neighbouring countries Austria and Switzerland. We focus on the bacterial pathogens Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Francisella tularensis, the protozoan parasite Babesia spp. as well as on Eyach virus. The diagnosis of these pathogens is difficult, because the majority of the infections result in mild or self-limited diseases. However, all these pathogens may induce severe clinical symptoms; therefore, their importance is not to be underestimated in the diagnosis of tick-borne diseases.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Susanne Schex and Sandra Essbauer from the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology for their information about Rickettsia spp. in rodents, and Peter Otto from the Friedrich-Löffler-Institute in Jena for information about F. tularensis in hare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Silvia Pluta, Peter Kimmig & Ute Mackenstedt

  2. Baden-Wuerttemberg State Health Office, District Government, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Silvia Pluta, Kathrin Hartelt & Rainer Oehme

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  1. Silvia Pluta
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  2. Kathrin Hartelt
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Correspondence to Ute Mackenstedt .

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  1. Department of Zoomorphology, Cell Biology and Parasitology,, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany

    Heinz Mehlhorn

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Pluta, S., Hartelt, K., Oehme, R., Kimmig, P., Mackenstedt, U. (2011). What Else Besides TBE and Borreliosis? Tick-Transmitted Pathogens in Germany and Beyond. In: Mehlhorn, H. (eds) Progress in Parasitology. Parasitology Research Monographs, vol 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21396-0_16

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