On Rudolf Weigl's birth anniversary, Google honours Polish biologist with unique doodle

On occasion of Rudolf Weigl's 138th birth anniversary, on September 2, Google has honored Polish inventor, doctor, and immunologist with a unique doodle portraying him holding a test tube in his gloved hands.  doodle illustrator has spelled out Google with all that is used in a lab for testing purposes.

Polish biologist Rudolf Stefan Jan Weigl was born on September 2, 1883, in Austro-Hungarian town of Przerów. He studied biological sciences at Poland’s Lwów University and was appointed as a parasitologist in Polish Army in 1914. When Eastern Europe witnessed Typhus plague, Weigl contributed immensely towards development of typhus vaccine.

Rudolf Weigl's achievement 

typhus-infecting bacteria, Rickettsia prowazekii, are usually carried by body lice and so this insect was apted into a laboratory specimen by Weigl. He studied this specimen for years and his research revealed how to use lice to propagate dely bacteria with hope of developing a vaccine. In 1936, Weigl’s vaccine successfully inoculated its first beneficiary.

During Second World War when Germany occupied Poland, Weigl was forced to open a vaccine production plant. He used facility to hire friends and colleagues at risk of persecution under new regime. Due to Weigl’s work during war period, over 5,000 people were saved. He helped people both directly and indirectly. His efforts protected his neighbors and thousands of vaccine doses were distributed nationwide.

Today, Rudolf Weigl is widely known as a remarkable scientist and hero. His work has been honored by two Nobel Prize nominations. 

Typhus infection

Louse-borne Typhus Fever is one of oldest pestilential diseases of humankind. It was first recognized in late fifteenth century with certainty as causing devastating epidemics. Some of symptoms of disease include chills, fever, and severe heaches. duration of fever is from 10 to 21 days. But, in severe cases, this develops into stupor and coma, accompanied by secondary infections and renal failure. And today, with help of antibiotics including tetracyclines, quinolones, chloramphenicol, and para-aminobenzoic acid, risk of a fatal issue is greatly reduced. 

Image: GOOGLE.COM