Christian Drosten will probably go down in history through his research into Corona.
Now the virologist wants to devote himself to the next virus: MERS, which can cause fatal respiratory infections.
Coronavirus pandemic in Germany
: Virologist Christian Drosten
is
often the focus of
the
corona crisis
.
The scientist from the
Berlin Charité
plans to research the
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in
the future
.
MERS
can lead to fatal respiratory infections and multiple organ failure - isolated cases have occurred in
Germany.
Munich -
Christian Drosten
already has the next virus in view:
MERS-CoV
is the next
pandemic
candidate, said the
virologist at the Berlin Charité.
Thanks
to
his research on the
coronavirus
and
Covid-19, the
scientist has achieved
international fame
far beyond
Germany
.
"When the hype is over now, I will develop a new topic with a small working group," said
Drosten
in an interview with
Capital
.
Christian Drosten wants to research MERS-CoV - high mortality like the coronavirus
MERS-CoV
?
Similar to the current
coronavirus
, the
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome can,
according to the
German Center for Infection
Research
(
DZIF
), "take a very difficult course with a high mortality rate".
MERS-CoV
: The
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
was detected for the first time in
2012
.
MERS-CoV:
2015 outbreaks on the
Arabian Peninsula
and in Southeast Asia.
Isolated cases also found in
Germany
.
MERS-CoV
: Transmission in principle from animals (dromedaries) to humans.
But individual infections from humans to humans have also been proven.
MERS-CoV
: As with
Corona
, it can lead to fatal respiratory infections or multiple organ failure.
The virus was discovered in 2012.
It is basically transmitted from animals to humans.
However, isolated infections from person to person have also been detected, explains the
DZIF
in a description.
All previous illnesses came from the
Arabian Peninsula
, primarily from
Saudi Arabia
and Oman, but also from
Iran
.
The pack animal
dromedary
was the host of the viruses, it is said.
Christian Drosten is planning research on MERS-CoV: "Fatal respiratory infections" as with Corona
The
Deutsches Ärzteblatt
speaks of the fact that
MERS-CoV
"can cause fatal respiratory infections and multiple organ failure".
As with
Corona
.
In 2015 there were major outbreaks in the
Arabian Peninsula
, in
Southeast Asia
(Thailand, Korea and the Philippines) and in China, is further described in an information sheet from the medical publication.
Striking: isolated cases were also found in the Federal Republic of Germany in 2015.
Like the
DZIF
but declared there was in
Germany
"at present no increased risk of infection with
MERS-CoV
".
(pm)
List of rubric lists: © Britta Pedersen / dpa