Bartonella infections in fleas (Siphonaptera : Pulicidae) and lack of Bartonellae in ticks (Acari : Ixodidae) from Hungary

Fleas (95 Pulex irritans, 50 Ctenocephalides felis, 45 Ctenocephalides canis) and ixodid ticks (223 Ixodes ricinus, 231 Dermacentor reticulatus, 204 Haemaphysalis concinna) were collected in Hungary and tested, in assays based on PCR, for Bartonella infection. Low percentages of P. irritans (4.2%) and C. felis (4.0%) were found to be infected. The groEL sequences of the four isolates from P. irritans were different from all the homologous sequences for bartonellae previously stored in GenBank but closest to those of Bartonella sp. SE-Bart-B (sharing 96% identities). The groEL sequences of the two isolates from C. felis were identical with those of the causative agents of cat scratch disease, Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae, respectively. The pap31 sequences of B. henselae amplified from Hungarian fleas were identical with that of Marseille strain. No Bartonella-specific amplification products were detected in C. canis, L ricinus, D. reticulatus and H. concinna pools

Echinococcus multilocularis: An emerging pathogen in Hungary and Central Eastern Europe?

Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of human alveolar echinococcosis, is reported for the first time in Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Hungary. This parasite may be spreading eastward because the population of foxes has increased as a consequence of human interventions, and this spread may result in the emergence of alveolar echinococcosis in Central Eastern Europe

A Hodgkin- és a non-Hodgkin-lymphomák kezelése = Treatments of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas

A rosszindulatú nyiroksejtes megbetegedések – a lymphomák – kezelésében az elmúlt években több változás történt. A Hodgkin-kór kezelésében egyre inkább rizikóadaptált kezelési stratégiát alkalmazunk, amely nemcsak a kezelés előtti vizsgálatokon és prognosztikai tényezőkön alapszik, hanem a kezelés korai stádiumában végzett ismételt PET-vizsgálat (restaging) eredményén is. A sugárkezelés alkalmazásának lehetőség szerinti minimalizálása a késői szövődményként fellépő másodlagos daganatok gyakoriságát csökkentheti. Relapsus esetén kemoszenzitív betegek esetében autológ őssejt-transzplantáció végzendő. A Hodgkin-kórban szenvedő betegek mintegy 85%-ának gyógyulása várható. A non-Hodgkin-lymphomák heterogén betegségcsoportjában az indolens non-Hodgkin-lymphomák csoportjára (CLL, myeloma multiplex, hajas sejtes leukaemia, cutan lymphomák stb.) természetes lefolyás esetén a lassú progresszió jellemző. Kezelésük palliatív, teljes gyógyulás elérése a jelenlegi lehetőségekkel általában nem lehetséges. Az agresszív NHL-ek jellemzője a gyors progresszió és a kezelés nélkül rövid idő alatt bekövetkező halálos kimenetel. Többségük citosztatikum- és sugárérzékeny. Megfelelő kezeléssel a betegek 60–70%-a komplett remisszióba (CR) kerül, és a betegek 40–50%-a véglegesen meggyógyul. Új lehetőség mindkét NHL-csoportban az immunterápia bevezetése, amely lehetőséget ad a nyugvó daganatsejtek befolyásolására is. Segítségükkel jelentősen javíthatók az eddigi terápiás eredmények. A PET-vizsgálat bevezetése az NHL-ek első és ismételt stádiumvizsgálatát is hatékonyan segíti. A kedvezőtlen prognózisú, valamint a visszaeső betegek egy részénél az autológ őssejt-transzplantáció javíthatja a prognózist. | The therapy of malignant lymphoproliferative diseases has changed many times in recent years. Treatment strategy of Hodgkin’s disease is now based on risk adaptation, including not only the results of pretreatment diagnostic and prognostic factors but also the repeated PET/CT (restaging) made in the early treatment period. Possible reduction of irradiation therapy may contribute to lower the risk of secondary tumors, which are common late complications of radiochemotherapy. Autologous stem cell transplantation is the therapy of choice in chemosensitive relapsing patients. The complete remission rate today in Hodgkin’s disease is around 85%. In the heterogenic group of Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas, progression of indolent lymphomas (CLL, multiple myeloma, hairy cell leukemia, cutaneous lymphomas, etc.) is slow in case of natural course. Their therapy is mostly palliative and complete remission with the latest treatment modalities is not possible. Aggressive lymphomas are characterized with rapid progression and early death without treatment.Most of them respond to chemotherapy and irradiation.With an adequate therapy, 60-70% of patients reach complete remission (CR) and 40–50% of them remain in remission. Using immune- and radioimmune therapy in indolent and aggressive NHL groups gives possibility to influence G0 tumor cells as well. Their use in combination with classic chemotherapy leads to more complete remissions and better therapy results. The introduction of routine PET/CT made the first and repeated staging of NHL more precise and contributed to more effective treatment. Using autologous stem cell transplantation in chemosensitive patients may improve outcome in selected patients

Rickettsia helvetica in Dermacentor reticulatus Ticks

We report on the molecular evidence that Dermacentor reticulatus ticks in Croatia are infected with Rickettsia helvetica (10%) or Rickettsia slovaca (2%) or co-infected with both species (1%). These findings expand the knowledge of the geographic distribution of R. helvetica and D. reticulatus ticks

Tracking the Vector of Onchocerca lupi in a Rural Area of Greece

During a hot Mediterranean summer, an expedition brought parasitologists from Brazil, France, Greece, Italy, and Serbia to a wooded area near Xanthi, Thrace, northeastern Greece, near the Turkish border, on the track of the vector of the little-known nematode Onchocerca lupi. The scientific purposes of the expedition blended then with stories of humans, animals, and parasites in this rural area

Bartonella rochalimae in Raccoons, Coyotes, and Red Foxes

To determine additional reservoirs for Bartonella rochalimae, we examined samples from several wildlife species. We isolated B. rochalimae from 1 red fox near Paris, France, and from 11 raccoons and 2 coyotes from California, USA. Co-infection with B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii was documented in 1 of the coyotes