Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40760658›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2025

Immunofluorescence analysis reveals no increased seroprevalence of anti-Bartonella schoenbuchensis-IgG antibodies in German forest workers.

Kim Nina Buntrock, Wibke Ballhorn, Heike Podlich, Johan Malmström, Lotta Happonen, Sounak Chowdhury, Annette Jurke, Volkhard A J Kempf

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Article in Parasites & vectors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. The role of deer keds (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Lipoptena and Neolipoptena) in occupational and public health.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kim Nina BuntrockInstitute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, National Reference Laboratory for Bartonella Infections, Goethe University, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, 60596, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany.
Wibke BallhornInstitute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, National Reference Laboratory for Bartonella Infections, Goethe University, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, 60596, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany.
Heike PodlichInstitute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, National Reference Laboratory for Bartonella Infections, Goethe University, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, 60596, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany.
Johan MalmströmDivision of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Lotta HapponenDivision of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Sounak ChowdhuryDivision of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Annette JurkeDepartment Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Northrhine Westphalia Centre for Health, Bochum, Germany.
Volkhard A J KempfInstitute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, National Reference Laboratory for Bartonella Infections, Goethe University, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, 60596, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany. volkhard.kempf@unimedizin-ffm.de.

Funding

Bartonella Consiliary Laboratory (funded by the Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany) 1369-354
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBartonella schoenbuchensis is suspected to cause deer ked dermatitis and febrile diseases in humans. Deer keds (Lipoptena cervi), which infest cervids (e.g., roe deer, fallow deer), are discussed as potential vectors for B. schoenbuchensis.

methodsWe analyzed the seroprevalence of anti-B. schoenbuchensis immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in sera of forest workers (FW; n = 82) compared to control sera of non-forest workers (NFW; n = 118) from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. For this purpose, an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using Vero E6 cells infected with B. schoenbuchensis was established, and serum titers were assessed. Whole cell lysate of B. schoenbuchensis was introduced for analysis of seroreactivity by western blotting. Immunodominant proteins were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

resultsWhen using human sera, 54.9% (n = 45/82) of FW were tested positive at a titre ≥ 320 whereas IFA reactivity was 66.1% (n = 78/118) in NFW. When the cut-off titre was set to ≥ 640, then 18,3% (n = 15/82) of FW and 20,3% (n = 24/118) of NFW displayed seroreactivity, respectively. In immunoblot analysis, IFA-positive sera reacted with 18 different bands ranging from ca. 40-300 kDa. No elevated reactivity of sera from FW compared to those of NFW was observed.

conclusionsOur data speak against an increased seroprevalence of anti-B. schoenbuchensis IgG titers in FW, which are regularly exposed to deer keds, weakening the hypothesis that B. schoenbuchensis is transmitted to humans by deer keds.

Indexed as

Antibodies, BacterialImmunoglobulin GAdultAnimalsChlorocebus aethiopsDeerFemaleFluorescent Antibody TechniqueForestsGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedSeroepidemiologic StudiesVero CellsYoung AdultAntibodies, BacterialImmunoglobulin GDeer kedsExpositionInfection riskSerodiagnosticsZoonosis

Identifiers

PMID40760658
PMCPMC12323244

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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.