title: Visceral leishmaniasis: a threat to immunocompromised patients in non-endemic areas?
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis is rare in western Europe, but may be life-threatening in immunocompromised patients. It is therefore important to understand the incidence of the disease in a non-endemic area and its relationship with immunosuppressive conditions. Between 1990 and 2005, 12 patients were diagnosed with leishmaniasis at Basel University Hospital, Switzerland. Eleven presented with visceral symptoms and ten had an underlying immunosuppressive condition. Since increasing numbers of immunosuppressed patients have a history of travel to endemic countries, an association of visceral leishmaniasis with cellular immunosuppression (other than that associated with human immunodeficiency virus) might become more frequent in non-endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weisser
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khanlari
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Terracciano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arber
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gratwohl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bassetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hatz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battegay
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Flückiger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013557:Switzerland; D014195:Travel