Ida Ørskov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ida Ørskov
|
|
|---|---|
Frits Ørskov (left) with Ida Ørskov (right)
c. 1958 |
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| Born |
Ida Oppenheuser
8 January 1922 |
| Died | 10 April 2007 (aged 85) |
| Spouse(s) |
Frits Ørskov
(m. 1948) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Paul Ehrlich Prize Tagea Brandt Rejselegat |
| Academic work | |
| Main interests | Bacteriologist |
Ida Ørskov (born Ida Oppenheuser, 8 January 1922 – 10 April 2007) was a Danish doctor and a scientist who studied bacteria. She was known for her important research on how bacteria can spread in hospitals. Her work helped make hospitals safer for everyone.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ida Ørskov was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her father, Johannes Georg Oppenheuser, was an engraver, and her mother was Helga Christensen.
After finishing school at N. Zahle's School in 1941, Ida decided to study medicine. Her chemistry teacher encouraged her to pursue this path. She graduated from the University of Copenhagen in 1948.
Work and Discoveries
While studying, Ida became friends with a fellow student named Frits Ørskov. They later married in 1948. Frits's father was the director of the Danish Serum Institute, a place where scientists study diseases. This connection made Ida very interested in bacteriology, which is the study of bacteria.
Ida and Frits worked closely together. After Frits became the head of the institute's coli department, their teamwork became even stronger.
Understanding Hospital Infections
In 1956, Ida Ørskov wrote her important scientific paper called Om Klebsiella. This paper was one of the first studies to show how bacteria could spread from one person to another in hospitals. This is called bacterial cross-infection. Her research helped doctors and nurses understand how to prevent infections in hospitals.
Studying Coliform Bacteria
Ida and her husband also studied a type of bacteria called coliforms. They looked at how these bacteria cause illness. Their work led to the creation of a special department at the institute. This department later became the World Health Organization's International Escherichia Centre. It also led to other centers focusing on specific bacteria like Salmonella and Klebsiella.
In 1968, Ida Ørskov became the head of her department, a position called overlæge. She also worked closely with the American National Institutes of Health in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She and her husband even spent a year there as visiting scientists.
Ida Ørskov passed away on 10 April 2007. She is buried in Frederiksberg Ældre Kirkegård Cemetery. Her husband, Frits Ørskov, died in 2015.
Awards and Recognition
Ida Ørskov received several important awards for her scientific work:
- 1965: She was given the Paul Ehrlich Prize.
- 1978: She received the Tagea Brandt Travel Scholarship.
See also
In Spanish: Ida Ørskov para niños
