"Russian Roulette": Not just Corona and monkeypox - Nguyen-Kim warns of 500,000 undiscovered viruses

Created: 06/12/2022, 22:29

By: Anna Lorenz

Could monkeypox be native to Germany?

Scientist Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim talks about the dangers of 500,000 unexplored viruses in the face of globalization and climate change.

Germany - First Corona, then monkeypox - science journalist Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim begins her contribution on the

YouTube channel maiLab, which was produced for

"I know nobody wants to find out anything about a new virus right now," says the 34-year-old from Heppenheim, who then works objectively through the subject of monkeypox, illuminates the question of a possible pandemic with the virus and, last but not least, points it out , which is why today’s lifestyle, globalization and climate change can significantly increase the risk of a second corona.

Monkeypox in Germany: "Would be super stupid to lose control of it"

Unpretentious and practice-oriented, the successful YouTuber is dedicated to monkeypox, which is currently causing a stir with several cases in Europe.

The currently circulating West African variant is generally characterized by mild courses, both medication and a vaccination could be implemented quickly in an emergency.

However, it must be considered that the pustules caused by the monkeypox virus can leave scars and - if they form in the eye - visual damage, as well as that severe courses and deaths are possible in immunocompromised people.

In this respect, according to the holder of the Federal Order of Merit, "it would be really stupid to lose control of it".

However, Nguyen-Kim focuses on the unusual spread of the current wave of monkeypox, in which "so many cases occur simultaneously in non-endemic countries, with no recognizable connection to West Africa." The doctor of chemistry identifies three, possibly combined, causes for this.

On the one hand, the relatively high spread could be related to the declining immunity of the population, because since the 1980s, as a rule, no smallpox vaccinations - which also bring cross-immunity against monkeypox - have been carried out.

On the other hand, the DNA virus could simply have mutated and adapted better to humans, who are not intrinsically the right hosts for monkeypox.

As a third potential cause, the YouTuber points to the change that society and the earth have undergone in recent decades.

"Climate change, deforestation", as well as immense interventions and changes in ecosystems would lead to the fact that not only in the fauna living beings could meet that previously had no points of contact - and thus get the "opportunity to exchange pathogens";

Humans, in particular, would potentially be exposed to species in the course of which viruses could spread.

Monkey pox just the beginning?

YouTuberin warns of miscommunication, mutation risk - and 500,000 unexplored viruses

This aspect is the second pillar on which Nguyen-Kim bases her appeal to take monkeypox seriously.

"Because ultimately with every infection you give a virus the chance to mutate," it is important to avoid a large-scale outbreak of monkeypox.

The possibility that the virus could adapt to humans, but also the option that it would find a suitable animal host in Europe, could lead to monkeypox becoming endemic and henceforth the recurrence of the then domestic disease can be expected be.

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Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim was honored with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in 2020.

© Michael Sohn picture alliance/dpa/POOL AP

Nguyen-Kim, who has been a member of the Senate of the Max Planck Institute since 2020, emphasizes that communication regarding the virus is particularly important.

Above all, the frequent occurrence of monkeypox infections in men who have same-sex sexual intercourse should not lead to the virus being stigmatized or taboo.

"Correlation is not the same as causality," Nguyen-Kim points out. "Viruses don't know anything about sexual orientation.

They are transmitted where there is contact.”

For a pandemic outbreak of monkeypox there is "currently no reason to assume", but the research initiative

that there are still 500,000 previously unknown zoonoses, "i.e. viruses that can spread from animals to humans.

They can be harmless - they can also be worse than Corona".

However, globalization, changes in ecosystems, climate change and other man-made modifications to natural processes would promote “Russian roulette” extremely, as this would “revolve the revolver drum more often and faster”.

"Fear and panic", says Nguyen-Kim, "of course never make sense, but we should definitely take the danger of a second pandemic seriously - if not from monkeypox, then from one of the other 500,000 undiscovered viruses".

(askl)