The article from the Wrocław University of Life Sciences is an interview with Prof. Janusz Pawęska — a veterinary graduate from Wrocław (1981) and longtime researcher of highly dangerous viruses, who for over 20 years directed the only BSL-4 laboratory in Africa, located in South Africa. The interviewer is Isabelle Sigrist.
Key topics:
- Why Marburg virus? Because we live in the era of zoonotic diseases. Climate change, human encroachment on ecosystems, globalization of animal production, and increased mobility all raise the risk of viral „spillover.” His lecture coincided with two events: the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius (April 2026) and the WHO declaration (17 May 2026) of a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda.
- Scale of the threat: More than 1,400 human viruses are known, ~62% of which are zoonotic. On average, a new infectious disease emerges each year, and ~75% originate in animals.
- History of Marburg: First identified in Europe in 1967, after infected African green monkeys were transported from Uganda to Germany and Yugoslavia. Fruit bats are the natural reservoir — they carry the virus asymptomatically thanks to specialized immune mechanisms.
- Filovirus fatality rates: Ebola up to 90%; Marburg (Angola 2004-05) ~90%; West Africa Ebola ~40% (58% among healthcare workers); Bundibugyo 25-50%; Sudan ~53%.
- Spillover: The transfer of a virus from an animal to a new, immunologically naïve host — which is why it causes severe disease in humans.
- Routes of infection: Hantaviruses — inhalation of dust contaminated with rodent excreta. Filoviruses — contact with blood, tissues, or fluids of infected animals (hunting, butchering), followed by human-to-human transmission.
- Index case of the West African Ebola epidemic (2013-16): Likely a 2-year-old boy from a Guinean village who had played near a tree housing bats. The surrounding forest had been heavily degraded by logging and mining, pushing wildlife closer to human settlements.
- Are we facing another pandemic? Not every zoonotic virus has pandemic potential — the key factor is human-to-human transmissibility. Media tend to exaggerate; not every outbreak should be compared to Covid-19.
- Are we better prepared? Partially — global vigilance is higher, the International Health Regulations (IHR) and WHO contact points exist. However, after outbreaks fade, priorities shift and lessons are often forgotten. Specific treatments and vaccines are still lacking for many filoviruses.
- One Health concept: Human, animal, and environmental health are inseparable. Effective response requires interdisciplinary rapid-response teams (physicians, veterinarians, microbiologists, epidemiologists, anthropologists).
- Role of veterinarians: They know zoonotic diseases well, are trained in investigative thinking (animals can’t describe their symptoms), and excel at asking the right questions — a critical skill in epidemiology.
- Traveler precautions: Wear masks in crowded places, wash hands, and remember that putting on a mask isn’t enough — you must also remove it properly. During Ebola outbreaks, many healthcare workers became infected by incorrectly doffing protective equipment.
- Key takeaway: Panic doesn’t help — knowledge, common sense, and understanding simple mechanisms do (e.g., don’t dry-sweep a rodent-infested cellar; disinfect surfaces wet instead).