Robert Koch

Summary of research


Born: December 11, 1843
Died: May 27, 1910 (age 66 of heart failure))

Nationality: German




Robert Koch was born in Germany and grew up in a big family, he was one
of 13 children. When he was young he wanted to travel the world and
discover new places, but at age 21 he started the studies of science.
Shortly after he switched over to medicine and did his doctorate in
medicine only 4 years later. He worked as a physician and became more
and more interested in microbiology.

The word microbiology means the biology of microscopic or very small
organisms, things you can only see through a microscope. Things that are
too small to be seen with the naked eye.

Because he was one of the first scientists that had the courage and
interest to research in the field of microbiology, Robert Koch is called
the father of microbiology.

Robert Koch made 3 very important discoveries that were essential for
survival 150 years ago:

- What causes ANTHRAX ?
- What causes TUBERCULOSIS (short TB)
- What causes CHOLERA ?

If not treated early enough, even today these 3 epidemic illnesses can kill
you.


ANTHRAX

His first achievement was when he proved that the epidemic illness called
anthrax was caused by a bacillus, a very small rod like bacteria. Based on
Robert Kochs discoveries Monsieur Louis Pasteur, a French scientist, then
developed a vaccine to cure anthrax. Anthrax is an illness that affects both,
animals and humans, alike and before Robert Kochs discoveries many
animals and people died from this horrible illness.

There are 3 different types of anthrax infections:

1.) Cutaneous which means skin infection
About 95 percent of anthrax infections are cutaneous anthrax It .
occurs when you touch infected animals.

2.) Gastrointestinal which means you get sick in your stomach and
intestines
You get the illness by eating contaminated meat that is raw or not
well cooked.

3.) Inhalation which means you breath the bacteria in
One single deep breath may be enough to get very ill. Thats why this
type of infection is the most dangerous one.
Some nations use it as biological weapon; anthrax is airborne, people
inhale it and get killed. It is extremely scary!!!

If Robert Koch would not have made his discovery, many people would
have lost their lives to anthrax in the past and even today. His discovery is
very important. Because of him we are aware of the danger of the anthrax
bacteria and therefore his findings save human lives.


TUBERCULOSIS, short TB

Robert Koch isolated the bacteria that causes TB in 1882, 130 years ago.
TB is a sickness which you get in your lungs, the bacteria is spread through
the air from person to person.
TB is an ancient disease, it occurred in ancient Greece and Egypt.
Between 1700 and 1900, before Robert Koch made his discovery, many
people died of TB.

Today, about 2 billion people, a bit less than one-third of the worlds
population, are infected with TB, and about 2 million people die each year
from the disease. Most of the infected people live in developing and poor
countries like Africa and Asia.

Because of Robert Kochs discovery we can get tested today and find out if
we have the TB infection or not and we can get the proper medicine.
Because of his discovery of the TB bacteria proper medicine could be
developed, he figured out what bacteria we had to fight. His discovery
saved and still saves millions of people.

Robert Kochs findings about the TB bacteria were so important that he got
awarded the NOBEL PRICE for Medicine in 1905.


CHOLERA

About a year after he isolated the TB bacteria he discovered the bacteria
that causes cholera. Cholera is a disease that you get when you drink
contaminated water and eat contaminated food. Like with TB it mainly
occurs in the developed countries, the poor countries in Africa, Asia and
Latin America.
After the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 there was a cholera outbreak because
the drinking water was contaminated and even today, 2 years later, people
in Haiti die because of cholera. The drinking water got contaminated
because of poor sanitation conditions. Thousands of people got vaccinated
and survived the deadly disease, thanks to the discoveries of Robert Koch.


These are the main discoveries of Robert Koch, and they are all connected.
Becoming a physician and then a microbiologist he researched and
researched, being a real scientist he wouldnt give up. Because he was so
ambitious he helped a lot of people in the past and now in the present. He
helped a lot of people in the rather poor countries of this world where
medicine and hospitals are not for granted. His discoveries were a very
important contribution to modern medicine; they helped developing live
saving vaccines.

From 1891 to 1904 Koch was the head of the Institute for Infectious
Diseases in Berlin, Germany which drew students from all over the world to
study the new science of bacteriology. Today that institute is known as the
Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The RKI today serves as Germany's Center for
Disease Prevention and Control.

Robert Koch changed the world in a lot of ways. If Robert Koch did not live
maybe no one would have figured out what bacteria causes ANTHRAX,
TUBERCULOSIS and CHOLERA. He changed the world because he
saved us from being sick and from dying, he saved us from a lot of misery
and sorrow. If he didnt exist we would live in a whole different world.
Robert Koch helped the world to be a safer and better place.