As the name suggests, monkeypox, which has now been detected in Austria for the first time, has its origins in the animal kingdom. Below is a selection of zoonoses that have occurred over the past decades:
Monkeypox (Monkeypox virus): Following the elimination of smallpox through widespread vaccination programs in 1980, the monkeypox pathogen currently represents the greatest public health problem posed by pathogens of this type. Transmission to humans occurs again and again, the first infection was detected in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The original hosts are probably rodents. Until recently, the pathogen circulated mainly in Central and West Africa. Transmission to humans can occur through secretions and droplet infection, mostly through contact with infected animals. Human-to-human transmission is possible with close contact. According to AGES, the incubation period is five to 21 days. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, sore throat, cough, malaise and occasionally diarrhea. As the disease progresses, a smallpox-like rash may appear. Fatal courses are rare, the disease is usually healed after about three weeks. Vaccination against smallpox prevents about 85 percent of infection with monkeypox, according to experts.
“Coronavirus” SARS-CoV-2: The pathogen most likely originated in bats, which serve as virus reservoirs. The first proven transmissions to humans took place in December 2019. The pangolin species of pangolin, which is eaten as a delicacy in China, probably acted as an intermediate host, but mink, rabbits, raccoon dogs, domestic cats or badgers can also fulfill this function. The most likely place of origin is a market in the Chinese province of Wuhan, but other possibilities are discussed again and again. The pathogen is spread from person to person by droplet transmission and has triggered the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, which has claimed millions of lives worldwide.
Influenza (“real flu”): Waterfowl act as a virus reservoir. In 2003, the new “bird flu” strain H5N1 also broke out in China. Domestic poultry acted as intermediate hosts for transmission to humans. Recurring H5N1 outbreaks have claimed more than 400 lives so far. In contrast to “bird flu”, the “new flu” (H1N1) can be transmitted between humans relatively easily. The influenza variant, named “swine flu” after the intermediate host, triggered a global pandemic in Mexico in 2009/2010 with around 200,000 deaths.
Ebola: Bats are regarded as a virus reservoir for the disease, which is particularly feared because of its high mortality rate of up to 90 percent. Monkeys are assumed to be intermediate hosts. The last major outbreak took place in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. According to estimates, more than 28,000 people fell ill at that time. A total of 11,316 deaths were recorded. Also this year there was an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
SARS: The causative agent of the “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome” (SARS), which is around 80 percent identical to the new corona virus, first appeared in China in 2002. Out of around 8,000 people infected by 2003, 800 died. The larval roller, a species of civets native to Asia, acted as a transmitter between bats and humans.
MERS: To date, around 2,500 people have been infected with the “Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus” (MERS-CoV) that appeared on the Arabian Peninsula in 2012. With 858 dead, the death rate here is relatively high. Like the other two coronaviruses that affect humans, bats are considered to be the origin. The dromedary acts as an intermediate host.
West Nile fever: Mainly due to rising average temperatures, the West Nile virus has also arrived in Europe around the turn of the millennium. Austria is currently on the northern edge of the distribution areas. AGES describes the probability of being infected with it in Austria as “still very low”. It is transmitted by mosquitoes, and wild birds have been identified as intermediate hosts. Serious complications occur in one percent of cases.
Chikungunya: Outbreaks have been repeatedly registered since 2005, including in Italy. The main vectors are the mosquito species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Primates and rodents (presumed) were identified as intermediate hosts.
Dengue: With outbreaks in France and Croatia since 2010, dengue fever has also arrived in Europe. Here, too, primates are regarded as intermediate hosts, with the main vectors again being the mosquito species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. According to AGES, 30 to 120 dengue virus infections are detected in Germany every year, all of which have so far been detected in travelers returning from endemic areas.
Zika: The Zika virus is also mainly spread by these two mosquito species. Since 2015, the disease has been particularly widespread in Latin America. If pregnant women are infected, this can have significant long-term consequences for the child.
Source: Nachrichten
