Fatal anthrax infection in a heroin user from southern Germany, June 2012.

Blood cultures from a heroin user who died in June 2012, a few hours after hospital admission, due to acute septic disease, revealed the presence of Bacillus anthracis. This report describes the extended diagnosis by MALDI-TOF and real-time PCR and rapid confirmation of the anthrax infection through reference laboratories. Physicians and diagnostic laboratories were informed and alerted efficiently through the reporting channels of German public health institutions, which is essential for the prevention of further cases.

[Remarkable restricted tuberculosis epidemics in 2001/2002 in two Bavarian regions]. / Bemerkenswerte Tuberkulose-Kleinepidemien 2001/2002 in zwei bayerischen Regierungsbezirken.

Even if the incidence is further decreasing, tuberculosis must not be underestimated in Germany. In 2001, the public health service revealed four noteworthy molecular-biologically substantiated tuberculosis infection chains in Upper Bavaria and Upper Palatinate. An alcohol-addict frequenting the table reserved for regulars in an inn located in the district of E. was the origin for a small epidemic with seven tuberculosis cases, whereof six were contagious. In the district of D., a manager causes two illnesses at the workplace, and one tuberculosis case as well as two tuberculin conversions after visiting a skiing hut. An external cleaning lady, who had not been examined previously, causes tuberculosis in a three-year old girl in a rehabilitation clinic in the Upper Bavarian district of BT. The cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis, which was not examined for a long period of time in a nursery-school teacher, caused tuberculosis in a three-year-old girl and tuberculin conversion in thirty-four children in the Upper Palatinate region.

[Analysis of respiratory mechanics in fiberoptic bronchoscopy in healthy probands and patients]. / Analyse der Atemmechanik während Fiberbronchoskopie bei Gesunden und Patienten.

The airway resistance was measured via oscillation in 30 patients during routine bronchoscopy. In 10 healthy subjects body plethysmographic measurements were done during fiberoptic bronchoscopy. It was found that fiberoptic bronchoscopy results in an only slight, but significant increase in airway resistance. The Raw rose from an average of 1.94 to 3.04 mbar/l/s.