First human Sindbis virus infection confirmed in Germany

Despite the first confirmed infection of a person in Germany with the Sindbis virus (SINV), an expert believes there is no reason to worry. “The risk of becoming infected is low for everyone because infections are rare here,” explained virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg. People in Germany had also been infected with the virus before, but without noticing it.

SINV is a pathogen that circulates primarily in birds and is transmitted by mosquitoes. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has announced that a SINV infection was confirmed in the laboratory in a 60-year-old from Baden-Württemberg in September. The man fell ill in July.

According to Schmidt-Chanasit, no special protective measures are necessary. “What makes sense is what is recommended against mosquito bites and also protects against the West Nile virus: mosquito repellent on the skin, long clothing especially in the evening and at night, fly screens on the windows, covering rain barrels and regularly emptying water into flower saucers so that mosquitoes cannot breed there.” The mosquito season is coming to an end in autumn anyway.