Hi! I would like to introduce myself. I am George Sips, doctor, and I am now in the final year of the specialization training as a microbiologist at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.
A physician-microbiologist is involved in the prevention, detection and treatment of infectious diseases. Infectious diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, yeasts and prions. I have a history in virology and before I started this specialization course I did research into virus infections of the nervous system. I still do that research now. In addition, I am very interested in public health care and the idea that the health of people, animals and the environment are not separate from each other but interconnected. In English this idea is referred to as “One Health” to indicate that there is one shared health of humans, animals and the environment on our planet. In the latter respect, I visited the Italian National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Istituto Nazionale per le Malattie Infettive (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani” in Rome two weeks ago. With the climate change in scope, Italy has been confronted in recent years with a number of advancing infectious diseases transmitted by insects such as West Nile virus and Usutu virus. I learned a lot in Rome about the detection of infections by these viruses. I have also been able to take a look at the “Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio and della Toscana (IZSLT)” which investigates the presence of infectious diseases in insects, but also in animals and in food, in the regions of Lazio where Rome is located. There were also a number of people who were infected with the new corona virus in Italy, now there are many more. A lot of research and intensive care therefore took place. I learned a lot from that too.
During the Viruskenner Masterclass in Rotterdam, The Netherlands I will discuss the subject of vaccination: how can you try to prevent infections with vaccinations?