Sindbis fever may seem like an exotic disease associated with remote areas, but in reality it is not. It has now been proven, for the first time, that a person in Germany has been infected with a disease caused by the Sindbis virus acquired within the country. Antibodies indicating previous infections had already been detected years ago in blood donors from the Weinheim region, where the virus had previously been discovered in mosquitoes that carried the infection. But what information is available so far about the new case, what is this virus and the consequences of infection with it, how dangerous it is and the possibility of treatment?
Who is injured?
According to the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology of the German Ministry of Health, in September a 60-year-old man from Baden-Württemberg was confirmed infected with the Sindbis virus. The man was injured on July 12. Because he lives in an urban area with Asian tiger mosquito populations, doctors tested him for chikungunya virus infection. The scope of the tests was then expanded to include, among others, the Sindbis virus, and during these tests the infection was confirmed.
According to a spokeswoman for the local health director, the man resides in the city of Stuttgart, "and in the meantime he has recovered and is not complaining of any symptoms."
An important thing must be made clear, which is that this is the first case to be confirmed and diagnosed, but it is not the first infection to occur in Germany. Virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanazett of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg explained that "people in Germany have been infected with the Sindbis virus in the past as well, but without them noticing it at all." Available data indicate that infection is rare, “actual cases of illness are even rarer, and even when they do occur, they may not be noticed,” according to Schmidt-Chanasit.
What is the nature of this virus?
Sindbis virus is a pathogen that spreads mainly among birds and is transmitted by mosquitoes. It is not transmitted from one person to another, according to what virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanazett explained, saying: “The virus is widespread in large parts of Eurasia and Africa, but disease infections in large numbers have until now been practically known only in northern Europe, especially in Finland and Sweden, as well as in South Africa.” He added: "It is still unclear whether this is due to the virus strains themselves or simply a lack of diagnosis."
What are the consequences of infection with the virus?
According to Schmidt-Chanasit, most infections pass without symptoms or with only mild symptoms, and therefore go unnoticed. As for people who actually get sick, they usually suffer from fever, an itchy rash, and joint pain.
"This is annoying, and joint pain can last for months in some patients," the virologist explained. He added: "But the disease, according to what we know so far, is not life-threatening."
There is no specific treatment for the virus. Therefore, medical care is limited to treating symptoms only, and they are alleviated using pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medications.
Should the virus be looked for more targetedly when symptoms appear?
Schmidt-Chanazit says the answer is yes. Doctors should take the possibility of Sindbis virus infection into account when fever, rash, and severe joint pain appear during mosquito season, even if the infected person has not traveled abroad. “Only what is sought can be found,” he said.
The Robert Koch Institute report on the recently revealed case recommended that doctors consider the possibility of infection with the Sindbis virus if test results were negative for diseases such as dengue and chikungunya fever. The report added: "Increasing doctors' awareness of this infection could contribute to identifying infections that have until now remained undetected."
Where was the virus first detected?
Sindbis virus was first detected and isolated from Culex mosquitoes in 1952 in the Nile River Delta in Egypt. The virus was given this name in reference to the place of its discovery, “Sendbis Village,” affiliated with the Qanater Charity Center in the Qalyubia Governorate, north of Cairo, in the Delta region.
The first human cases of infection with this virus were recorded in Uganda in 1961, South Africa in 1963, and Australia in 1967.
