climate change
RKI boss: We have to prepare ourselves for exotic diseases
Lothar Wieler is President of the Robert Koch Institute. photo
© Carsten Koall/dpa
As a result of global warming, Germany could again become a habitat for mosquitoes and ticks that transmit exotic diseases, according to RKI President Wieler. The medical profession must be made aware of this.
In view of global warming, RKI President Lothar Wieler calls for exotic diseases in this country to be considered. “Climate change is leading to an expansion of the habitats for mosquitoes and ticks in Germany,” said the head of the Robert Koch Institute to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
“Many mosquito and tick species can transmit viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens,” says Wieler. These could be zika or dengue viruses, for example. “A return of malaria caused by Plasmodium is also possible.” It is therefore important to sensitize the medical profession in this country to these diseases. “This is also an important concern of the RKI.”
The health policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Andrew Ullmann, told the Funke media group: “Further research and innovation initiatives are urgently needed to better understand the effects of climate change on the spread of pathogens and to take effective measures.” The greatest danger with this topic would be “a hostility to science and research”.