Ab Osterhaus

Albert Osterhaus ( born June 2, 1948 in Amsterdam; actually Albertus Dominicus Marcellinus Erasmus Osterhaus, called: Ab) is a Dutch veterinarian and virologist. Since 1993 he has been Professor of Virology at the University Hospital of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He became internationally known because of his research on SARS and influenza A H5N1 virus, the causative agent of the so-called H5N1 avian influenza.

Career

Albert Osterhaus attended from 1961 to 1967 in Amsterdam, the Hogere burger school Pius X. From 1967 to 1974 he studied veterinary medicine at Utrecht University, where he earned his degree in 1974 with a doctorate degree. In 1978 he acquired - also in Utrecht - another doctor degree (Ph. D. ) in specialist virology. Since 1990 he has been Professor of Virology at the University of Utrecht, he has also been since 1993 a professor of virology in Rotterdam and Director of the Institute of Virology at the Erasmus University. Furthermore, Osterhaus is since 1993 director of the reference laboratory for influenza in the Netherlands, since 1995 director of a center - coordinated by the WHO - explored together with other laboratories arboviruses and haemorrhagic fever, and since 2000 President of the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza. At times, Osterhaus was also head of the immune Biological Laboratory in Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu and from 1995 to 2000 director of the WHO's global reference laboratory for measles.

Research

Albert Osterhaus is one of the world's most experienced virologists. For the first time he was known outside of the Netherlands, after he had succeeded in 1998 to identify a new morbillivirus, which was responsible for mass mortality of seals along the North Sea coast at the time. Two years later, in his laboratory identified an influenza B virus that had infected seals off the coast of the Netherlands and which was believed until then, it only infect humans.

1997 his group was the first, was in the evidence that influenza A/H5N1 can also infect humans. The H5N1 viruses were isolated from the body of a three year old boy who had died in Hong Kong.

2004 proved his team found that with A/H5N1 infected cats can transmit the virus to other cats. In an article for the journal Nature Osterhaus explained in April 2006 adds that cats should not be underestimated as possible vectors of A/H5N1-Viren. His work also estimate the risk to be relatively high, that the H5N1 virus could develop in cats the ability to effectively spread from mammal to mammal; thereby the risk of a pandemic would be increased among men.

In April 2003, at the height of the SARS epidemic, pointed Osthaus ' working group alongside other after that the disease is caused by a previously unknown coronavirus, which among other things found in civet cats and bats.

Albert Osterhaus also is researching a vaccine against HIV and is co-founder of the biotechnology company ViroClinics BV and BV VitoNative.

Criticism

In 2009 allegations against Osterhaus were associated with the so-called swine flu outbreak loud, " he brochure from economic self-interest in the development of a vaccine fears of a pandemic ." In September 2009, the Dutch Parliament dealt with reports, Osterhaus own shares in a company producing vaccines against swine flu. Subsequently, the Dutch Health Council, Osterhaus decided not to vote as a government consultant for dealing with the H1N1 virus be granted.

Honors

Since 2003, Albert Osterhaus Commander in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

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