Prof Dr Fabian Leendertz

Prof Dr Fabian Leendertz
Research Group Leader

Fabian Leendertz studied veterinary medicine at the University of Budapest and the Freie Universität (FU) Berlin. In 2005, he became a doctor of veterinary medicine and group leader of the Primate Diseases Group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. Then he became head of the Emerging Zoonoses Junior Research Group at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) Berlin until 2012 and qualified as a specialist veterinarian in microbiology. As head of the RKI project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Pathogens (2012 - 2021), he habilitated in microbiology at the FU Berlin in 2016. In 2021, Fabian Leendertz was appointed founding director of the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) in Greifswald and professor of One Health at the University of Greifswald.

Fabian Leendertz's major achievements include the discovery of a new type of anthrax pathogen (Bacillus cereus bv anthracis) and the first description of leprosy in wild apes. In addition, he led the investigation into the point of origin of the West African Ebola outbreak in 2014 and is a member of the WHO expert group investigating the origin of SARS-CoV-2. In recognition of his commitment to implementing One Health Approaches, he was awarded the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Champion of the Earth Award in 2020. He also serves on several advisory boards, including the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Zoonoses Research Platform, the Advisory Board of the One Health Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development, and the Scientific Commission of UNEP's Great Apes Survival Partnership.

Publications
Jaffe J.E., Mätz-Rensing K., Ulrich M., Gräßle T., Behringer V., ... , Wittig R.M., Leendertz F.H. (2024)
Chronic Kidney Disease and Kidney Stone in a Wild Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) in Cote d'Ivoire
J.Med.Primatol., 53 (5)

Badjo A.O.R., Kabore N.F., Zongo A., Gnada K., Ouattara A., Muhigwa M., Ouangraoua S., Poda A., Some S.A., Schubert G., Eckmanns T., Leendertz F.H., ... , Belarbi E., Ouedraogo A.S. (2024)
Burden and epidemiology of Campylobacter species in acute enteritis cases in Burkina Faso
BMC Infectious Diseases, 24 (1)

Düx A., Lwitiho S.E., Ayouba A., Röthemeier C., Merkel K., Weiss S., Thaurignac G., Lander A., Kouadio L., Nowak K., Corman V., Drosten C., Couacy-Hymann E., Krüger D.H., Kurth A., Calvignac-Spencer S., Peeters M., Ntinginya N.E., ... , Leendertz F.H., Mangu C. (2024)
Detection of Bombali Virus in a Mops condylurus Bat in Kyela, Tanzania
Viruses, 16 (8)

Badjo A.O.R., Niendorf S., Jacobsen S., Zongo A., Mas Marques A., Vietor A.C., Kabore N.F., Poda A., Some S.A., Ouattara A., Ouangraoua S., Schubert G., Eckmanns T., Leendertz F.H., ... , Belarbi E., Ouedraogo A.S. (2024)
Genetic diversity of enteric viruses responsible of gastroenteritis in urban and rural Burkina Faso
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 18 (7)

Gogarten J.F., Düx A., Gräßle T., Lumbu C.P., Markert S., Patrono L.V., Pleh K.A., Singa F.N., Tanga C.T.F., Tombolomako T.B., Couacy-Hymann E., Kouadio L., Ahuka-Mundeke S., Makouloutou-Nzassi P., ... , Calvignac-Spencer S., Leendertz F.H. (2024)
An ounce of prevention is better: Monitoring wildlife health as a tool for pandemic prevention
EMBO Rep.

Jaffe J.E., Metzger S., Mätz-Rensing K., Ribas A., Wittig R.M., Leendertz F.H. (2024)
Oesophagostomum stephanostomum causing parasitic granulomas in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of Tai National Park, Cote d'Ivoire
Am.J.Primatol.

Chasinga T.B., Cikwanine J.P.B., Kribi S., Yoyu J.T., Hofmann N., Grossegesse M., Nitsche A., Tomczyk S., Vietor A.C., Leendertz F.H., Eckmanns T., Kusinza A.B., Munguakonkwa E., Kalk A., Raha M., Kambale N.S., Ayagirwe R.B., ... , Schubert G., Mukwege D. (2024)
Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and risk of viral exposure among healthcare workers in the South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: A cross-sectional study
BMJ Open, 14 (1)

Friederici A.D., Wittig R.M., Anwander A., Eichner C., Gräßle T., Jäger C., Kirilina E., Lipp I., Düx A., Edwards L.J., Girard-Buttoz C., Jauch A., Kopp K.S., Paquette M., Pine K.J., Unwin S., Haun D.B.M., Leendertz F.H., McElreath R., Morawski M., Gunz P., ... , Weiskopf N., Crockford C. (2023)
Brain structure and function: a multidisciplinary pipeline to study hominoid brain evolution
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 17

Rühlemann M.C., Bang C., Gogarten J.F., Hermes B.M., Groussin M., Waschina S., Poyet M., Ulrich M., Akoua-Koffi C., Deschner T., Muyembe-Tamfum J.J., Robbins M.M., Surbeck M., Wittig R.M., Zuberbühler K., Baines J.F., ... , Leendertz F.H., Franke A. (2024)
Functional host-specific adaptation of the intestinal microbiome in hominids
Nature Communications, 15 (1)

Wieters I., Johnstone S., Makiala-Mandanda S., Poda A., Akoua-Koffi C., Abu Sin M., Eckmanns T., Galeone V., Kabore F.N., Kahwata F., Leendertz F.H., Mputu B., Ouedraogo A.S., Page N., Schink S.B., Toure F.S., Traore A., Venter M., Vietor A.C., ... , Schubert G., Tomczyk S. (2024)
Reported antibiotic use among patients in the multicenter ANDEMIA infectious diseases surveillance study in sub-saharan Africa
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 13 (1)

Wood R., Tembele W., Hema A., Some A., Kinganda-Lusamaki E., Basilubo C., Lumembe R., Alama N., Mbunsu G., Zongo A., Ahuka S., Muyembe J.J., Leendertz F., Eckmanns T., Schubert G., Kagone T., ... , Makiala S., Tomczyk S. (2024)
Implementation of the WHO core components of an infection prevention and control programme in two sub-saharan African acute health-care facilities: a mixed methods study
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 13 (1)

Aghebatrafat A.A., Lauber C., Merkel K., Fruth B., Langergraber K., Robbins M.M., Wittig R.M., ... , Leendertz F.H., Calvignac-Spencer S. (2023)
Evolutionary Insight into the Association between New Jersey Polyomavirus and Humans
Viruses, 15 (11)

MacIntyre C., Lourens C., Mendes A., de Villiers M., Avenant T., Plessis N.M.D., ... , Leendertz F.H., Venter M. (2023)
West Nile Virus, an Underdiagnosed Cause of Acute Fever of Unknown Origin and Neurological Disease among Hospitalized Patients in South Africa
Viruses, 15 (11)

Danabalan R., Merkel K., Baerholm Schnell I., Arandjelovic M., Boesch C., Brazzola G., Dieguez P., Dupain J., Kambale-Vyalengerera M., Kühl H.S., Hoffmann C., Lapuente J., Ngoc Thinh V., Zimmermann F., Leendertz F.H., Gilbert M.T.P., Roos C., Mazzoni C., ... , Gogarten J.F., Calvignac-Spencer S. (2023)
Mammal mitogenomics from invertebrate-derived DNA
Environ.DNA.

Lynggaard C., Calvignac-Spencer S., Chapman C.A., Kalbitzer U., Leendertz F.H., Omeja P.A., Opito E.A., Sarkar D., ... , Bohmann K., Gogarten J.F. (2023)
Vertebrate environmental DNA from leaf swabs
Curr.Biol., 33 (16)

Jahan M., Lagostina L., Gräßle T., Couacy-Hymann E., Kouadio L., Kouakou V.K., Krou H.A., Mossoun A.M., Patrono L.V., Pleh K., Steiner J.A., Yves N., Leendertz F.H., ... , Calvignac-Spencer S., Gogarten J.F. (2023)
Fly iDNA suggests strict reliance of the causative agent of sylvatic anthrax on rainforest ecosystems
Environmental DNA

Anoh E.A., Wayoro O., Monemo P., Belarbi E., Sachse A., Wilkinson E., San J.E., Leendertz F.H., Diané B., Calvignac-Spencer S., ... , Akoua-Koffi C., Schubert G. (2023)
Subregional origins of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants during the second pandemic wave in Côte d'Ivoire
Virus Genes

Gräßle T., Crockford C., Eichner C., Girard-Buttoz C., Jäger C., Kirilina E., Lipp I., Düx A., Edwards L., Jauch A., Kopp K.S., Paquette M., Pine K., Haun D.B.M., McElreath R., Anwander A., Gunz P., Morawski M., Friederici A.D., Weiskopf N., Leendertz F.H., Wittig R.M., Albig K., Amarasekaran B., Angedakin S., Anwander A., Aschoff D., Asiimwe C., Bailanda L., Beehner J.C., Belais R., Bergman T.J., Blazey B., Bernhard A., Bock C., Carlier P., Chantrey J., Crockford C., Deschner T., Düx A., Edwards L., Eichner C., Escoubas G., Ettaj M., Fedurek P., Flores K., Francke R., Friederici A.D., Girard-Buttoz C., Fortun J.G., GoneBi Z.B., Gräßle T., Gruber-Dujardin E., Gunz P., Hartel J., Haun D.B.M., Henshall M., Hobaiter C., Hofman N., Jaffe J.E., Jäger C., Jauch A., Kahemere S., Kirilina E., Klopfleisch R., Knauf-Witzens T., Kopp K.S., Kouima G.L.M., Lange B., Langergraber K., Lawrenz A., Leendertz F.H., Lipp I., Liptovszky M., Theron T.L., Lumbu C.P., Nzassi P.M., Mätz-Rensing K., McElreath R., McLennan M., Mezö Z., Moittie S., Moler T., Morawski M., Morgan D., Mugabe T., Muller M., Müller M., Njumboket I., Olofsson-Sannö K., Ondzie A., Otali E., Paquette M., Pika S., Pine K., Pizarro A., Pléh K., Rendel J., Reichler-Danielowski S., Robbins M.M., Forero A.R., Ruske K., Samuni L., Sanz C., Schüle A., Schwabe I., Schwalm K., Speede S., Southern L., Steiner J., Stidworthy M., Surbeck M., Szentiks C., Tanga T., Ulrich R., Unwin S., van de Waal E., Walker S., Weiskopf N., Wibbelt G., Wittig R.M., Wood K., ... , Zuberbühler K., EBC Consortium (2023)
Sourcing high tissue quality brains from deceased wild primates with known socio-ecology
Methods Ecol.Evol.

Jahan M., Calvignac-Spencer S., Chapman C.A., Kalbitzer U., Leendertz F.H., Omeja P.A., Sarkar D., ... , Ulrich M., Gogarten J.F. (2023)
The Movement of Pathogen Carrying Flies at the Human-Wildlife Interface
EcoHealth

Sawadogo Y., Galal L., Belarbi E., Zongo A., Schubert G., Leendertz F., Kanteh A., Sesay A.K., Erhart A., Banuls A.L., Tarnagda Z., Godreuil S., ... , Tinto H., Ouedraogo A.S. (2022)
Genomic Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Western Burkina Faso, West Africa
Viruses, 14 (12)

Minhos T., Borges F., Parreira B., Oliveira R., eixo-Pais I., Leendertz F.H., Wittig R., Fernandes C.R., Marques Silva G.H.L., Duarte M., Bruford M.W., ... , Ferreira da Silva M.J., Chikhi L. (2023)
The importance of well protected forests for the conservation genetics of West African colobine monkeys
Am.J.Primatol., 85 (1)

Weiss S., Sudi L.E., Düx A., Mangu C.D., Ntinginya N.E., Shirima G.M., Köndgen S., Schubert G., Witkowski P.T., Muyembe J.J., Ahuka S., Klempa B., ... , Leendertz F.H., Krüger D.H. (2022)
Kiwira Virus, a Newfound Hantavirus Discovered in Free-tailed Bats (Molossidae) in East and Central Africa
Viruses, 14 (11)

De Oliveira-Filho E.F., Carneiro I.O., Fischer C., Kuhne A., Postigo-Hidalgo I., Ribas J.R.L., Schumann P., Nowak K., Gogarten J.F., de Lamballerie X., Dantas-Torres F., Netto E.M., Franke C.R., Couacy-Hymann E., ... , Leendertz F.H., Drexler J.F. (2022)
Evidence against Zika virus infection of pets and peri-domestic animals in Latin America and Africa
J.Gen.Virol., 103 (1)

Nuno A., Chesney C., Wellbelove M., Bersacola E., Kalema-Zikusoka G., Leendertz F., ... , Webber A.D., Hockings K.J. (2022)
Protecting great apes from disease: Compliance with measures to reduce anthroponotic disease transmission
People.Nat.

Gogarten J.F., Jahan M., Calvignac-Spencer S., Chapman C.A., Goldberg T.L., ... , Leendertz F.H., Rothman J.M. (2022)
The cost of living in larger primate groups includes higher fly densities
EcoHealth, 19 (2)

Patrono L.V., Röthemeier C., Kouadio L., Couacy-Hymann E., Wittig R.M., ... , Calvignac-Spencer S., Leendertz F.H. (2022)
Non-invasive genomics of respiratory pathogens infecting wild great apes using hybridisation capture
Influ.Other Respir.Viruses, 16 (5)

Plenderleith L.J., Liu W., Li Y., Loy D.E., Mollison E., Connell J., Ayouba A., Esteban A., Peeters M., Sanz C.M., Morgan D.B., Wolfe N.D., Ulrich M., Sachse A., Calvignac-Spencer S., Leendertz F.H., Shaw G.M., ... , Hahn B.H., Sharp P.M. (2022)
Zoonotic origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium malariae from African apes
Nat.Commun., 13 (1)

Hockings K.J., Mubemba B., Avanzi C., Pleh K., Düx A., Bersacola E., Bessa J., Ramon M., Metzger S., Patrono L.V., Jaffe J.E., Benjak A., Bonneaud C., Busso P., Couacy-Hymann E., Gado M., Gagneux S., Johnson R.C., Kodio M., Lynton-Jenkins J., Morozova I., Mätz-Rensing K., Regalla A., Said A.R., Schuenemann V.J., Sow S.O., Spencer J.S., Ulrich M., Zoubi H., Cole S.T., Wittig R.M., ... , Calvignac-Spencer S., Leendertz F.H. (2021)
Leprosy in wild chimpanzees
Nature, 598 (7882)

Murthy Sripriya, Couacy-Hymann E., Metzger S., Nowak K., Nys H.D., Boesch C., Wittig R., Jarvis M.A., ... , Leendertz F.H., Ehlers B. (2013)
Absence of frequent herpesvirus transmission in a nonhuman primate predator-prey system in the wild
Journal of Virology, 87 (19)