External group Prof. Dr. Jan ter Meulen
Prof. Dr. Jan ter Meulen Executive Director Vaccine Research Merck Research Laboratories, WP16-100 770 Sumneytown Pike, PO Box 4 West Point, PA 19486, USA Phone: +1-215-6524883 jan.ter.meulen@merck.com |
 |
Fields of activity:
- Epidemiology of Hanta and Lassa virus infections in Guinea, West Africa
- Industrial vaccine research (Merck Research Laboratories)
Epidemiology of Hanta and Lassa virus infections in Guinea, West Africa
Description of scientific projects:
Hantaviruses, members of the family Bunyaviridae, are emerging viruses
causing two life-threatening human zoonoses; hemorrhagic fever with
renal syndrome and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. The viruses are
transmitted from animal reservoirs to humans. Based on the very recent
evidence of hantaviruses in rodents and shrews in Guinea, West Africa
(Sangassou and Tanganya virus), we participate in a joint project of
German and African universities to study the occurrence of hantavirus
disease and the biodiversity of hantaviruses and their natural animal
reservoirs in West Africa. Moreover, specific diagnostic
approaches are being developed for newly detetced African hantaviruses.
These efforts will result in capacity building for the detection and
characterization of hantaviruses and other emerging zoonotic viruses in
Guinea and to the development of virus-diagnostic and public health
expertise for the control of rodent-borne zoonotic infections. The
project is funded by the German Research Foundation (KR1293/9-1) and
coordinated by Prof. Detlev Kruger from the Institute of Virology,
Charite, Berlin.
In addition, data from our epidemiological studies on Lassa fever
carried out between 2000 and 2006 are still being analyzed and
published.
Kooperationspartner:
- Dr. Lamine Koivogui
Director
National Institute of Public Health Guinea
C.H.U. Donka
BP 5680, Conakry
Republic of Guinea
Tel.: 00224-30467993
Fax: 00224-30467993
koivogui@biasy.net
- D. H. Kruger, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and ChairmanInstitute of Med. Virology
Helmut-Ruska-Haus
University Hospital Charité
Charitéplatz 1
D-10117 Berlin
Phone: +49-30-450-525092
Fax: +49-30-450-525907
detlev.kruger@charite.de
