United States: The World Health Organization has delineated a roster exceeding 30 pathogens poised to incite the forthcoming pandemic.
Prominent among these perilous viruses and bacteria is the H5N1 avian influenza, currently proliferating within the United States, which scientists apprehend could readily mutate to facilitate human-to-human transmission, according to Daily Mail.
The alarm also surrounds the mosquito-borne Dengue fever, colloquially termed the ‘bone-breaking disease,’ now disseminating in the US at unprecedented rates.
Additionally, monkeypox, responsible for a global epidemic in 2022, features on the list amid an outbreak of a more lethal and contagious strain in Africa.
Over half of the listed entries are novel compared to the 2017 enumeration, which marked the list’s initial publication.
This latest compilation includes Hantavirus, a rodent-transmitted virus; the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus; influenza; and Covid.
Notably, smallpox, although currently eradicated, was also added due to concerns about its accidental release in a laboratory incident and subsequent rapid dissemination, given the current lack of immunity in the population, as reported by Daily Mail.
Furthermore, the rodent-borne Lassa fever, which can induce hemorrhaging from the gums, eyes, and nose, as well as seizures in afflicted individuals, is listed.
The compilation involved 200 scientists from over 50 nations, scrutinizing a preliminary list of 1,600 bacteria and viruses.
Pathogens identified as having ‘pandemic potential’ were distinguished by their high transmissibility and virulence—capable of inducing severe disease in humans.
Particularly dangerous were those diseases for which no vaccines or treatments exist.
In contrast to the earlier lists from 2017 and 2018, which included approximately a dozen pathogens, researchers have now expanded the list in light of increased opportunities for zoonotic and inter-regional disease transmission.
Urbanization and deforestation have heightened human-wildlife contact, the scientists noted, while increased international travel presents further opportunities for diseases to infiltrate new territories, according to reports by the Daily Mail.
Additionally, there are apprehensions that climate change may exacerbate outbreaks by enabling diseases to spread into novel regions.
Dr. Ana Maria Henao Restrepo, the report’s lead, conveyed to Nature: ‘The prioritization process helps identify critical knowledge gaps that need to be addressed urgently.’
The report also encompassed five bacteria, including cholera, known to cause gastrointestinal distress, and Yersinia pestis, the pathogen behind the plague.
Also remaining on the list is the bat-borne Nipah virus, which can precipitate severe encephalitis.
For many of the diseases included, only sporadic cases have thus far been documented.
Reportedly, however, researchers cautioned that should these pathogens acquire mutations enhancing human-to-human transmission, they could instigate an outbreak.
Most of the listed diseases are transmitted by ticks, bats, mosquitoes, rodents, or humans—often spread via respiratory droplets.
To achieve pandemic status, a virus or bacterium must be capable of human transmission and global detection and must cause significant morbidity.