Dr. med. vet. Katharina Birkmann, Diplomate ECEIM

Resume

Dr. Katharina Birkmann studied veterinary medicine at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. She also completed her doctoral degree in neuropathology there.

After working for two years at the Dr. Lutz and Dr. Heidbrink Equine Clinic in Aschheim, Germany, she specialized in equine internal medicine through a four-year residency program at the University of Zurich, earning Diplomate status from the European College.

She subsequently worked as a specialist in internal medicine at the Thurland Equine Clinic in Switzerland and the Kirchberg Equine Clinic in Germany.

Since 2023, she has served as a senior physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at the LMU Equine Clinic.

Additional Qualifications

• Diplomate ECEIM
• Certified Equine Dentist (GST)

Research Interests

• Dermatology, particularly allergic skin conditions in horses
• Respiratory diseases, particularly equine asthma
• Cardiology

Publications

PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=birkmann+katharina

Orcid-ID: 0000-0002-1142-2132

2026

• Validation of an improved Equine IBH Severity Score (EqIS) for allergic equine insect bite hypersensitivity in horses.
  Lam J, Eckert A, Rhiner T, Waldern N, Schwarz E, Birkmann K, Widmer D, Dietrich M, Kündig T M, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.
  JVIM. 2026. Accepted.

2025

• Anti-IL-5 Vaccination Dampens Allergen-Specific IgE Levels and Modulates IL-4 and IL-5 Th2 Cytokines in Skin Allergy of Mice and Horses.
  Jebbawi F, Olomski F, Inversini V, Keller G, Rhiner T, Waldern N, Lam J, Pantelyushin S, Canonica F, Birkmann K, Johansen P, Kündig TM, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.
  Allergy. 2025 Dec;80(12):3377-3390. Epub 2025 Aug 21.
  DOI: 10.1111/all.70020.
• Validation of the Equine Urticaria Activity Score (EqUAS) for the assessment of chronic recurrent urticaria in horses.
  Birkmann K, Waldern N, Jucker S, Balaschitsch K, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.
  Vet Dermatol. 2025 Oct;36(5):630-637. Epub 2025 May 19.
  DOI: 10.1111/vde.13358.

2024

• Eosinophils Play a Surprising Leading Role in Recurrent Urticaria in Horses.
  Birkmann K, Jebbawi F, Waldern N, Hug S, Inversini V, Keller G, Holm A, Grest P, Canonica F, Schmid-Grendelmeier P, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.
  Vaccines 2024, 12(6), 562
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12060562.

2023

• Interleukin 5-dependent inflammatory eosinophil subtype involved in allergic insect bite hypersensitivity of horses.
  Pantelyushin S, Rhiner T, Jebbawi F, Sella F, Waldern N, Lam J, Chemnitzer A, Fricker A, Schoster A, Birkmann K, Widmer D, Canonica F, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.
  Allergy 2023 Nov;78(11):3020-3023.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/all.15859

2022

• Das Sommerekzem – neue Ansätze in Diagnostik und Therapie.
  Katharina Birkmann, Antonia Fettelschoss-Gabriel.
  Pferdespiegel 2022; 25: 112–118.
  DOI: 10.1055/a-1902-1959
• Targeting eosinophils by active vaccination against interleukin-5 reduces basophil counts in horses with insect bite hypersensitivity in the 2nd year of vaccination.
  Rhiner T, Fettelschoss V, Schoster A, Birkmann K, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.
  Vet J. 2022 Oct; 288:105896. Epub 2022 Sep 17.
  DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2022.105896.

2021

• Molecular mechanisms and treatment modalities in equine Culicoides hypersensitivity.
  Fettelschoss-Gabriel A, Birkmann K, Pantelyushin S, Kündig TM.
  Vet J. 2021 Oct; 276:105741. Epub 2021 Aug 17.
  DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2021.105741.
• Interleukin 31 and targeted vaccination in a cease series of six horses with chronic pruritus.
  Fettelschoss, V., Olomski, F., Birkmann, K., Kündig, T.M., Bergvall, K., Fettelschoss-Gabriel, A.
  Equine Veterinary Education, 2021, 33 (12) e490-e500
  DOI: 10.1111/eve.13408.

2020

• Safety profile of a virus-like particle-based vaccine targeting self-protein Interleukin-5 in horses.
  Jonsdottir, S., Fettelschoss, V., Olomski, F., Talker, S.C., Birkmann, K., Thoms, F., Wagner, B., Bachmann, M.F., Kündig, T.M., Marti, E., Fettelschoss-Gabriel, A.
  NPJ Vaccines, 2020 May 9; 8(2)): 213.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8020213
• Interleukin 31 in insect bite hypersensitivity-Alleviating clinical symptoms by active vaccination against itch.
  Olomski F, Fettelschoss V, Jonsdottir S, Birkmann K, Thoms F, Marti E, Bachmann MF, Kündig TM, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.
  Allergy. 2020 Apr;75(4):862-871. Epub 2020 Feb 6.
  DOI: 10.1111/all.14145.

2019

• Active vaccination against Interleukin-5 as long-term treatment for insect-bite hypersensitivity in horses.
  Fettelschoss-Gabriel, A.; Fettelschoss, V.; Olomski, F.; Birkmann, K.; Thoms, F.; Bühler, M.; Kummer, M.; Zeltins, A.; Kündig, T. M.; Bachmann, M. F.
  Allergy, 2019 Mar, 74(3): 572-583.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/all.13659

2018

• Treating insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) in horses by active vaccination against Interleukin-5.
  Fettelschoss-Gabriel, A.; Fettelschoss, V.; Thoms, F.; Giese, C.; Daniel, M,; Olomski, F.; Kamarachev, J.; Birkmann, K.; Bühler, M.; Kummer, M.; Zeltins, A.; Marti, E.; Kündig, T. M.; Bachmann, M. F.
  Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2018 Oct, 124(4): 1194-1205.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2018.01.041
• Haemothorax in the horse: a retrospective study.
  Rickli, C. I.; Birkmann, K.; Hilbe, M; Ohlerth, S.; Wehrli Eser, M.
  Pferdeheilkunde – Equine Medicine, 2018, 34(4): 353-362.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.21836/pem20180406

2017

• Differenzialdiagnosen Innere Medizin beim Pferd
  Birkmann, K.: Anämie, Blutungsneigung. In: Gehlen, H.
  Enke Verlag, 2017, pp.: 79-87, 142-151.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1055/B-004-140271

2016

• Severe polyuria and polydipsia as major clinical signs in a horse with unilateral renal adenocarcinoma.
  Birkmann, K.; Trump, M.; Dettwiler, M.; Ruetten, M.; Wehrli Eser, M.
  Journal of Equine Veterinary Education, 2016 Dec, 28(12): 675-680.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.12123

2014

• Efficacy of omeprazole powder paste or enteric-coated formulation in healing of gastric ulcers in horses.
  Birkmann, K.; Junge, H.; Maischberger, E.; Wehrli Eser, M.; Schwarzwald, C.C.
  Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2014 May-Jun; 28(3):925-33.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12341
• Serum antibodies and DNA indicate a high prevalence of equine papillomavirus 2 (EcPV2) among horses in Switzerland.
  Fischer, N.M.; Favrot, C.; Birkmann, K.; Jackson, M.; Schwarzwald, C.C.; Müller, M.; Tobler, K.; Geisseler M.; Lange C.E.
  Vet Dermatol, 25(3):210-214.
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.12129

2009 - Dissertation

• Eine morphologische und histologische Untersuchung des Ganglion Pelvinum nach experimenteller Schädigung des N.cavernosus bei der Ratte.
  Birkmann, Katharina.
  Diss. med. vet., Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

Education