A German biologist called Stefan Lanka set a challenge in 2011: he wanted scientists to prove that measles was a virus. The reason for doing so was because Lanka was against vaccines and the concept of vaccination. His theory was that if measles is not cause by a virus, then vaccines would not be effective and may actually cause harm. Lanka posted this challenge on his website.
Lanka wrote: “Because we know that the “measles virus” doesn’t exist, and according to biology and medical science can’t exist, and because we know the real cause of measles, we want the reward to get people to enlighten themselves, for the enlightened to help the less enlightened and for the enlightened to influence those in power.”
Lanka’s alternative explanation for measles is that it is a psychosomatic illness. This means that a combination of social, psychological, and behavioral factors affect bodily processes and thus the quality of life.
However, a court in Germany has ruled that it has been clearly proven that measles is caused by a virus and therefore Lanka must pay-up the sum of €100,000 (around $106,300). The court hearing lasted on three hours, according to The Guardian. The court statement simply runs: “The court had no doubt about the existence of the measles virus.”
This legal case came about after German doctor David Barden accepted Lanka’s challenge. According to the BBC, Barden emailed Lanka a series of studies that demonstrated that measles is a virus. However, Lanka refused to pay, and so the dispute ended up in a regional court in southern Germany. By the end of the court proceedings, the judges sided with Barden and ordered Lanka to pay up. Lanka has indicated that he plans to appeal against the ruling.
At the time of the court ruling, in March 2015, there have been an estimated 22,000 measles cases across Europe.