Victor Babeș

Victor Babeș ( 4 July 1854 – 19 October 1926) was a Romanian physician, biologist, and one of the earliest bacteriologists. He made early and significant contributions to the study of rabies, leprosy, diphtheria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases.

In 1885 he discovered a parasitic sporozoan of the ticks, named Babesia (of the familyBabesiidae), and which causes a rare and severe disease called babesiosis. In the same year, he published the first treatise of bacteriology in the world, Bacteria and their role in the histopathology of infectious diseases, which he co-authored with Cornil.

Babeș's scientific endeavours were wide-ranging. He was the first to demonstrate the presence of tuberculous bacilli in the urine of infected patients. He also discovered cellular inclusions in rabies-infected nerve cells. Of diagnostic value, they were to be named after him (Babeș-Negri bodies).

Babeș was one of the founders of serum therapy, and was the first to introduce rabies vaccination to Romania. His work also had a strong influence upon veterinary medicine, especially concerning prophylaxis and serum medication.

He became a professor of Pathology and Bacteriology at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. He was also a member of the Romanian Academy (in 1893), of the Paris Académie Nationale de Médecine, and an officer of the French Légion d'honneur.

His nephew, Aurel Babeș, was also a physician, who discovered a screening test for cervical cancer.

1.      Bacteriology was founded by Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch and

a)      Joseph Lister

b)      Claude Bernard

c)      Victor Babes

2.      Babesia is a:

a)      Sporozoan

b)      Disease

c)      virus

3.      The Babes-Negri bodies are:

a)      Inclusion bodies containing the virus of rabies

b)      Bodies that cause infectious diseases

c)      Bacterias that cause tuberculosis

By Prof. Molcalut Georgeta - Florentina