· Profesor Titular, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo
· Investigador, ICIM – Programa Hantavirus y Zoonosis, Chilean Rickettsia and Zoonosis Research Group, Laboratorio Clínico – Clínica Alemana
· Jefe Programa Medicina del Viajero, Clínica Alemana de Santiago
· ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9804-2123
Médico Cirujano y Doctorado en Medicina, Universidad de Kiel (Alemania). Entrenamiento Hospital St. Georg, Hamburgo, y Charité, Berlín, Alemania. Microbiólogo (Hamburgo, Alemania), Internista (Berlín, Alemania), subespecialista en enfermedades infecciosas y en medicina tropical (Berlín, Alemania), diploma de medicina tropical y parasitología (DTM&P, Instituto Bernhard-Nocht Hamburgo, Alemania), Médico infectólogo (Chile).
Líneas de investigación e intereses: Enfermedades trasmitidas por vectores, zoonoses, rickettsias, enfermedades tropicales e importadas, parasitosis, evaluación de tests diagnósticos
Dr. Thomas Weitzel is a clinical microbiologist and infectious diseases physician specialized in Tropical and Travel Medicine. After obtaining his medical degree from Kiel University, Germany, he completed his specialization in Clinical Microbiology, Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Tropical Medicine in Hamburg and Berlin, Germany. From 2000 to 2009, he worked at the Charité Berlin, where he was Head of the Diagnostic Laboratory and parasitology lecturer at the Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health. Since 2009 he works at Clínica Alemana in Santiago, Chile, as a Tropical Medicine specialist at Clinical Laboratory and is Head of the Travel Medicine Program. He is teaching and performing research at the Medical Faculty of Universidad del Desarrollo, where he was appointed Full Professor in 2015. His main research interests are emerging zoonotic and vector-borne infections as well as other tropical diseases and the evaluation of diagnostic tests. He is co-founder of the Chilean Rickettsia and Zoonosis Research Group, exploring the field of emerging rickettsial infections in Chile. Up to date, he has published >100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and >20 book chapter and contributes to several journals in editorial functions.
Publicaciones internacionales seleccionadas
1. Zoonosis / Infecciones emergentes / Enfermedades trasmitidas por vectores
Salje J, Weitzel T, Newton PN, Varghese GM, Day N. Rickettsial infections: A blind spot in our view of neglected tropical diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15: e0009353 (in press)
Weitzel T, Aylwin M, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Acosta-Jamett G, Abarca K. A tropical rickettsiosis in a subantarctic region: scrub typhus in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Clin Microbiol Infect 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.11.023
Silva-de la Fuente MC, Stekolnikov AA, Weitzel T, Beltrami E, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Abarca K, Acosta-Jamett G. Chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) of Chiloé Island, Chile, with descriptions of two new species and new data on the genus Herpetacarus. J Med Entomol 2021; 58: 646-57
Vial MR, Peters A, Pérez I, Spencer-Sandino M, Barbé M, Porte L, Weitzel T, Aylwin M, Vial P, Araos R, Munita JM; CAS-UDD Covid-19 Working Group. Covid-19 in South America: Clinical and epidemiological characteristics among 381 patients during the early phase of the pandemic in Santiago, Chile. BMC Infect Dis 2020; 20: 955
Weitzel T, Acosta-Jamett G, Jiang J, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Farris CM, Richards AL, Abarca K. Human seroepidemiology of Rickettsia and Orientia species in Chile – a cross-sectional study in five regions. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11: 101503
Abarca K, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Angulo J, Jiang J, Farris CM, Richards AL, Acosta-Jamett G, Weitzel T. Molecular description of a novel Orientia species causing scrub typhus in Chile. Emerg Infect Dis 2020 Sep. doi: 10.3201/eid2609.200918
Weitzel T, Makepeace BL, Elliott I, Chaisiri K, Richards AL, Newton PN. Marginalised mites – neglected vectors of neglected diseases. PLOS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14: e0008297
Acosta-Jametta G, Weitzel T, López J, Alvarado D, Abarca K. Prevalence and risk factors of antibodies to Anaplasma spp. in Chile – a household-based cross-sectional study in healthy adults and domestic dogs. Vectors Borne Zoonotic Dis 2020; doi: 10.1089/vbz.2019.258
Acosta-Jamett G, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Beltrami E, Silva-de la Fuente MC, Jiang J, Richards AL, Weitzel T, Abarca K. Identification of trombiculid mites (Acari: Trombiculidae) on rodents captured on Chiloé Island and molecular evidence of infection with Orientia species. PLOS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14: e0007619
Weitzel T, Acosta-Jamett G, Martínez-Valdebenito, Richards AL, Grobusch MP, Abarca K. Scrub typhus risk in travelers to southern Chile. Travel Med Infect Dis 2019; 29: 78-9
Weitzel T, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Acosta-Jamett G, Jiang J, Richards AL, Abarca K. Scrub typhus in continental Chile, 2016-2018. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25: 1214-7
Weitzel T, Aylwin M, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Jiang J, Munita JM, Thompson L, Abarca K, Richards AL. Imported scrub typhus: first case in South America and review of the literature. Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines 2018; 4:10
Weitzel T, Jiang J, Acosta-Jamett G, Martínez-Valdebenito C, López J, Richards AL, Abarca K. Canine seroprevalence to Orientia species in southern Chile: A cross-sectional survey on the Chiloé Island. PLOS One 2018; 13: e0200362
Díaz F, Martínez-Valdebenito C, López J, Weitzel T, Abarca K. Geographical distribution and phylogenetic analysis of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato in northern and central Chile. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:792-7
Weitzel T, López J, Acosta-Jamett G, Edouard S, Parola P, Abarca K. Absence of convincing evidence of Coxiella burnetii infection in Chile: a cross-sectional serosurvey among healthy adults in four different regions. BMC Infect Dis 2016; 16: 541
Weitzel T, López J, Dittrich S, Phuklia W, Velásquez K, Blacksell SD, Paris D, Abarca K. Endemic scrub typhus in South America. New Engl J Med 2016; 375: 954-61
Weitzel T, Yamasaki H, Sugiyama H, Ramirez C, Rosas R, Mercado R. Human Infections with Pseudoterranova cattani Nematodes, Chile. Emerg Infect Dis 2015; 12: 1874-5
Acosta-Jamett G*, Weitzel T, Gadones C, Bahamonde A, Abarca K, Reiter-Owona I. Prevalence and risk factors for human and canine echinococcal infection in a rural area of Northern Chile: a household-based cross-sectional study. PLOS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8: e3090
Weitzel T, Zulantay I, Danquah I, Hamann L, Apt W, Mockenhaupt FP. Mannose-binding lectin and toll-like receptor polymorphisms and Chagas disease in Chile. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 86: 229-32
2. Medicina del Viajero / Infecciones importadas
Weitzel T, Perez I, Porte L. Lyme borreliosis presenting as severe back pain after Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing) in southern Germany. J Travel Med 2021; DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taab030
Chenet SM, Oyarce A, Fernández J, Tapia-Limonchi R, Weitzel T, Tejedo JR, Udhayakumar V, Jercic MI, Lucchi NW. Atovaquone-proguanil resistance in an imported malaria case in Chile. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021; DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1095
Rothe C, Rosenbusch D, Alberer M, Bühler S, Burchard G, Erkens K, Feldt T, Grobusch MP, Köhler C, Kapaun A, Löbermann M, Meischner K, Metzger W, Müller A, Nothdurft HD, Rieke B, Schlaich C, Schönfeld C, Schulze MH, Siedenburg J, Steiner F, Veit O, Weitzel T, Boecken G. Vaccinations for international travel – clinical practice recommendations. Flug u Reisemed 2021; 28: 47-80
Thompson L, Porte L, Díaz V, Díaz MC, Solar S, Valenzuela P, Norley N, Pires Y, Carreño F, Valenzuela S, Shabani R, Rickerts V, Weitzel T. Cryptococcus bacillisporis (VGIII) meningoencephalitis acquired in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. J Fungi 2021, 7, 55
Weitzel T. Profile and complexity of travel medicine consultations in Chile: unicentric cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2020; 10: e037903
Rothe C, Boecken G, Rosenbusch D, Alberer M, Buhler S, Burchard G, Erkens K, Feldt T, Grobusch MP, Köhler C, Löbermann M, Meischner K, Metzger W, Muller A, Nothdurft HD, Rieke B, Schlaich C, Schönfeld C, Schulze MH, Siedenburg J, Steiner F, Weitzel T, Veit O. Recommendations for antimalarial prophylaxis. Flug u Reisemed 2019; 26: 105-32
Weitzel T, Vial P, Perret C, Aguilera X. Shortage of yellow fever vaccination: a Travel Medicine emergency for Chilean travelers. Travel Med Infect Dis 2019; 28:1-2
Grobusch MP, Schaumburg F, Weitzel T, Rothe C, Hanscheid T, Goorhuis A. Ebola 2018 – Implications for travel health advice and relevance for travel medicine. Travel Med Infect Dis 2018; 24: 1-3
Weitzel T, Soto A, Sánchez M, Larrondo J. Chronic skin ulcers in a patient returning from Mexico. Lancet Infect Dis 2016; 16: 264
Weitzel T, Labarca J, Cortes CP, Rosas R, Balcells ME, Perret C. Cluster of imported vivax malaria in travelers returning from Peru. J Travel Med 2015; 22: 415-8
Broglia A, Weitzel T, Harms G, Cacció SM, Nöckler K. Molecular typing of Giardia duodenalis isolates from German travellers. Parasitol Res 2013, 112: 3449-56
Fica A, Dabanch J, Farias C, Castro M, Jercic MI, Weitzel T. Acute fascioliasis – clinical and epidemiological features of four patients in Chile. Clin Microbiol Infect 2012; 18: 91-6
Weitzel T, Rolling T, Burchard GD, Cramer JP. Malaria prophylaxis in Latin America – a controversial topic. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012, 87:190-1
Weitzel T, Schnabel E, Dieckmann S, Schweiger B. Evaluation of a new point-of-care test for influenza A and B in travelers with flu-like symptoms. Clin Microbiol Infect 2007, 13: 665-9
Weitzel T, Wichmann O, Mühlberger N, Reuter B, Hoof HD, Jelinek T. Clinical and epidemio-logical features of travel-associated cryptosporidiosis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2006; 12: 921-4
Weitzel T, Jelinek T. Images in clinical medicine. Loiasis. N Engl J Med 2006; 355:e6
Weitzel T, Dittrich S, Möhl I, Adusu E, Jelinek T. Evaluation of seven commercial antigen detection tests for Giardia and Cryptosporidium in stool samples. Clin Microbiol Infect 2006; 12: 656-9
Rack J, Wichmann O, Kamara B, Günther M, Cramer J, Schönfeld C, Henning T, Schwarz U, Mühlen M, Weitzel T, Friedrich-Jänicke B, Foroutan B, Jelinek T. Risk and spectrum of diseases in travelers to popular tourist destinations. J Travel Med 2005; 12: 248-53
Weitzel T, Mühlberger N, Jelinek T, Schunk M, Ehrhardt S, Bogdan C, Arasteh K, Schneider T, Kern WV, Fätkenheuer G, Boecken G, Zoller T, Probst M, Peters M, Weinke T, Gfrörer S, Klinker H, Holthoff-Stich ML for SIMPID Surveillance Network. Imported leishmaniasis in Germany 2001-2004: data of the SIMPID surveillance network. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2005 ; 24: 471-6
Mühlberger N, Jelinek T, Behrens R, Coulaud JP, Clerinx J, Gjørup I, Puente S, Burchard G, Corachán M, Grobusch MP, Weitzel T, Zoller T, Kollaritsch H, Beran J, Iversen J, Hatz C, Schmid M, Björkmann A, Fleischer K, Bisoffi Z, Guggemos W, Knobloch J, Matteelli A, Schulze MH, Laferl H, Kapaun A, McWhinney P, Lopez-Velez R, Fätkenheuer G, Kern P, Zieger BW, Kotlowski A, Fry G, Cuadros J, Myrvang B – for TropNetEurop and SIMPID Surveillance Networks. Age is a Risk Factor for Severe Manifestations and Fatal Outcome in European Patients with Falciparum Malaria: Observations from TropNetEurop- and SIMPID-Surveillance Data. Clin Infect Dis 2003; 36: 990-5
Weitzel T, Wolff M, Dabanch J, Levy I, Schmetz C, Visvesvara GS, Sobottka I. Dual microsporidial infection with Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in an HIV-positive patient. Infection 2001; 29: 237-9
3. Tests diagnósticos
Weitzel T, Pérez C, Tapia D, Legarraga P, Porte L. The dilemma of SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection tests in asymptomatic individuals. Lancet Infect Dis (in press)
Porte L, Legarraga P, Iruretagoyena M, Vollrath V, Pizarro G, Munita JM, Araos R, Weitzel T. Evaluation of two fluorescence immunoassays for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen – new tool to detect infective COVID-19 patients. PeerJ 2021; 9: e10801
Weitzel T, Legarraga P, Iruretagoyena M, Pizarro G, Vollrath V, Araos R, Munita JM, Porte L. Comparative evaluation of four rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection tests using universal transport medium. Travel Med Infect Dis 2021; 39: 101942
Porte L, Legarraga P, Vollrath V, Aguilera X, Munita JM, Araos R, Pizarro G, Vial P, Dittrich S, Weitzel T. Evaluation of novel antigen-based rapid detection test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory samples. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 99: 328-33
Porte L, Valdivieso F, Wilmes D, Gaete P, Díaz C, Thompson L, Munita JM, Alliende R, Varela C, Rickerts V, Weitzel T. Laboratory exposure to Coccidioides: lessons learnt in a non-endemic country. J Hosp Infect 2019; 102: 461-4
Porte L, García P, Braun S, Ulloa MT, Lafourcade M, Montaña A, Miranda C, Weitzel T. Head-to-head comparison of Microflex LT and Vitek MS systems for routine identification of microorganisms by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in Chile. PLOS One 2017; 12: e017792
Weitzel T, Cabrera J, Rosas R, Noriega LM, Schiapacasse G, Vollrath V, Porte L. Enteric multiplex PCR panels: A new diagnostic tool for amebic liver abscess? New Microbes New Infect 2017; 18: 50-3
Porte L, Varela C, Haecker T, Morales S, Weitzel T. Impact of changing from staining to culture techniques on detection rates of Campylobacter spp. in routine stool samples in Chile. BMC Infect Dis 2016; 16: 196
Kinkel HF, Dittrich S, Bäumer B, Weitzel T. Evaluation of eight serological tests for diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis. Clin Vaccin Immunol 2012, 19: 948-53
Weitzel T, Reither K, Mockenhaupt FP, Stark K, Ignatius R, Saad E, Seidu-Korkor A, Bienzle U, Schreier E. Field evaluation of a rota- and adenovirus immunochromatographic assay using stool samples from children with acute diarrhea in Ghana. J Clin Microbiol 2007; 45: 2695-7
4. Otros
Bravo V, Katz A, Porte L, Weitzel T, Varela C, Gonzalez-Escalona N, Blondel CJ. Genomic analysis of the diversity, antimicrobial resistance and virulence potential of clinical Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli strains from Chile. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15: e0009207
Weitzel T, Rodríguez F, Noriega LM, Marcotti A, Duran L, Palavecino C, Porte L, Aguilera X, Wolff M, Cortes CP. Hepatitis B and C virus infection among HIV patients within the public and private healthcare systems in Chile: a cross-sectional serosurvey. PLOS ONE 2020; 15: e0227776
Salvador F, Porte L, Duran L, Marcotti A, Pérez J, Thompson L, Noriega LM, Lois V, Weitzel T. Breakthrough bacteremia due to Clostridium tertium in a patient with neutropenic fever and identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Int J Infect Dis 2013, 17: e1062-3
Otto-Knapp R, Cortes CP, Saavedra F, Wolff M, Weitzel T. Hepatitis B prevalence and influence on HIV treatment outcome and mortality in the Chilean AIDS cohort. Int J Infect Dis 2013, 17: e919-24
Capitulos de libros seleccionados
Weitzel T. A 4-year-old girl from Bolivia with a dark nodule on her toe. In: Rothe C (ed.). Clinical Cases in Tropical Medicine 2nd Edition, Elseview, London, 2020; p. 179-80. ISBN: 9780702078798
Weitzel T, El-Dib N. A 25-year-old woman from Egypt with severe chronic diarrhea and malabsorption. In: Rothe C (ed.). Clinical Cases in Tropical Medicine 2nd Edition, Elseview, London, 2020; p. 160-1. ISBN: 9780702078798
Weitzel T, Goens C. A 34-year-old immigrant from Peru with chronic diarrhea and severe weight loss. In: Rothe C (ed.). Clinical Cases in Tropical Medicine 2nd Edition, Elseview, London, 2020; p. 220-2. ISBN: 9780702078798
El Dib NA, Weitzel T. Microsporidiosis. In: Bruschi F. (ed.). Frontiers in Parasitology (Vol. #2) – Water-borne Protozoa in Humans, Bentham Science Publishers, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2017; p. 221-75. ISBN 9781681084343
Weitzel T. Impfungen bei HIV-Patienten. In: Hoffmann C, Rockstroh JK, (eds.). HIV 2016/2017, Medizin Fokus Verlag, Hamburg, 2016; p. 461-9. ISBN: 9783941727205
Weitzel T. HIV und Reisen. In: Hoffmann C, Rockstroh JK, (eds.). HIV 2016/2017, Medizin Fokus Verlag, Hamburg 2016; p. 470-6. ISBN: 9783941727205
Weitzel T. Traveling with HIV. In: Hoffmann C, Rockstroh JK, (eds.). HIV 2015/2016, Medizin Fokus Verlag, Hamburg, 2015; p. 506-12. ISBN: 9783941727175
Weitzel T. Vaccinations and HIV. In: Hoffmann C, Rockstroh JK, (eds.). HIV 2015/2016, Medizin Fokus Verlag, Hamburg, 2015, p. 494-505. ISBN: 9783941727175
Weitzel T. A 4-year-old girl from Bolivia with a dark nodule on her toe. In: Rothe C (ed.). Clinical Cases in Tropical Medicine, Elseview, London, 2014; p. 251-2. ISBN: 9780702058240
Weitzel T , El-Dib N. A 25-year-old woman from Egypt with severe chronic diarrhea and malabsorption. In: Rothe C (ed.). Clinical Cases in Tropical Medicine, Elseview, London, 2014; p. 228-30. ISBN: 9780702058240
Neira P, Weitzel T, Mehlhorn H. Chapter 23: Cryptosporidiasis. In: Apt W (ed.). Parasitología Humana, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2013; p. 167-74. ISBN: 9786071508768
Weitzel T, Neira P, Mehlhorn H. Chapter 24: Ciclosporiasis. In: Apt W (ed.). Parasitología Humana, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2013; p. 175-8. ISBN: 9786071508768
El-Dib N, Weitzel T. Chapter 36: Capilariasis intestinal. In: Apt W (ed.). Parasitología Humana, McGraw-Hill, New York 2013; p. 250-5. ISBN: 9786071508768
El-Dib N, Weitzel T. Chapter 62: Capilariasis tisulares. In: Apt W (ed.). Parasitología Humana, McGraw-Hill, New York 2013; p. 481-4. ISBN: 9786071508768
