Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39182156›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2024

Sylvatic vector-borne pathogens including Cytauxzoon europaeus in the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) from southwestern Germany.

Anna Obiegala, Luisa Fischer, Sara Weilage, Nina Król, Katharina M Westhoff, Saskia Nemitz, Michael Lierz, Johannes Lang, Martin Pfeffer, Zaida Renteria-Solís

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. First Detection ofMicroorganisms · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Anna ObiegalaInstitute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Luisa FischerWildlife Research Institute, State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia, Bonn, Germany.
Sara WeilageInstitute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Nina KrólInstitute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Katharina M WesthoffWorking Group for Wildlife Biology at Justus, Liebig University Giessen E.V., Giessen, Germany.
Saskia NemitzClinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Working Group for Wildlife Research, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Michael LierzWorking Group for Wildlife Biology at Justus, Liebig University Giessen E.V., Giessen, Germany.
Johannes LangWorking Group for Wildlife Biology at Justus, Liebig University Giessen E.V., Giessen, Germany.
Martin PfefferInstitute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. pfeffer@vetmed.uni-leipzig.de.
Zaida Renteria-SolísInstitute of Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEuropean wildcats (Felis silvestris) are widely distributed in Europe and a strictly protected species in Germany. Lately, anthropogenic protective efforts lead to increasing numbers of wildcats in southwestern Germany. Moreover, in recent years the numbers of domestic cats are increasing. Thus, the contact between domestic and wildcats may lead to the spread of zoonotic pathogens in both animal species. As data on vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) in wildcats from Germany are limited to date, the objective of this study was to investigate the presence and current distribution of VBPs in wildcats from southwestern Germany.

methodsSkin and spleen samples from 117 European wildcats, originating from a regional carcass-monitoring program in southwestern Germany, were examined by real-time and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., and Piroplasmida.

resultsIn total, 6.8% (n = 8) of the wildcats were Rickettsia-positive, specified as R. helvetica. Three wildcats were positive for A. phagocytophilum (2.6%), one for Bartonella spp., namely B. taylorii (0.8%), and 84 for Cytauxzoon spp. (71.8%). Out of these 84 samples, 23 were further sequenced revealing very high identity levels (99.84-100%) to C. europaeus, which is considered to be pathogenic for domestic cats. All wildcats were negative for the presence of N. mikurensis DNA.

conclusionsEuropean wildcats in southwestern Germany are hosting several VBPs. With the exception of Cytauxzoon spp., low prevalence rates of most examined pathogens suggest that wildcats are primarily incidental hosts for sylvatic pathogens associated with rodents, in contrast to domestic cats. However, the high prevalence of the cat-associated pathogen C. europaeus suggests that wildcats in southwestern Germany may serve as reservoirs for this pathogen.

Indexed as

Animals, WildFelisAnimalsBartonellaCatsGermanyPiroplasmidaProtozoan Infections, AnimalRickettsiaVector Borne DiseasesAnaplasma phagocytophilumBartonella tayloriiCytauxzoon europaeusEuropePiroplasmidaRickettsia helveticaTick-borne pathogens

Identifiers

PMID39182156
PMCPMC11344307

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.