Many people enjoy travelling the world during their well-deserved holidays. But nobody wants to catch an infection during this time. Particularly, the risk of a dengue infection is often underestimated, although the tropical fever nowadays belongs to the most frequent virus infections in the world. Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus (DENV) which is […]
They say mild winters bring mosquito plagues in the following spring/summer. This could also be the case this year – now that summer has eventually come. Actually, there seems to be an even bigger problem with mosquitoes in Germany today. The climate change – which has so far had rather mild consequences in our latitudes
More than one month ago, the Republic of Korea confirmed its first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) infection. Since then, the number has raised to 180 including 31 deaths (WHO, 26.06.2015). One MERS infection has been reported in China so far. The man has already recovered and will leave the hospital within the
This is about two diseases with very similar symptoms, but completely different causes: chikungunya virus infection and rheumatoid arthritis. The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites, particularly from yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). These insects may not only transmit CHIKV, but also dengue fever,
Clinicians and biologists expect increasing numbers of infections with hantaviruses in Germany this year due to the ongoing strong reproduction of the bank vole and the striped field mouse. The rodents function as reservoirs and spread the virus through their excrements. Dust, contaminated with the pathogen, may be inhaled by humans when sweeping a shed
