- Werner Slenczka: Institute for Virology, Philipps-Universitat Marburg, Marburg, 35043, Germany.
Forty years ago, in early August 1967, the first filovirus ever detected, Marburg virus, made its appearance in Europe, causing severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever in laboratory workers in Marburg and Frankfurt and, about 4 weeks later, in Belgrade. The etiological agent was isolated and identified by the combined efforts of virologists in Marburg and Hamburg within the very short time of 3 months. Marburg was not the only town where the virus was isolated and identified for the first time, but most cases of infection occurred in Marburg.