New Delhi: Another pandemic? You read that right, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a list of pathogens that could potentially trigger the next pandemic. According to the WHO report, the number of pathogens has grown to over 30. A report published on July 30 listed the priority pathogens that were selected for their potential to cause a global public health emergency like a pandemic. The pathogens were selected based on the data and evidence that showed the pathogens were highly contagious and transmissible. The researchers also noted that there was limited access to vaccines and treatments for such viruses.
Before this, the WHO had identified around a dozen pathogens in the years 2017 and 2018, according to a report by Nature. For detecting the bacteria and viruses, over 200 scientists spent about two years examining the evidence on 1,652 pathogen species, mostly viruses and some bacteria to decide which one to include on the list.
New list of pandemic-causing pathogens
The new list of pathogens includes influenza A virus, dengue and monkeypox virus. On the other hand, it also includes various strains of influenza A viruses, including subtype H5 which has recently caused an outbreak in cattle in the United States.
Along with these bacteria, five new bacterial strains have also been added responsible for diseases like cholera, plague, dysentery, diarrhoea, and pneumonia. Apart from this, India most recently reported cases of Nipah Virus cases which has also been included on the list.
Priority pathogen and prototype pathogens
According to the UN Health Agency, the list of priority pathogens are those that have the capability to cause a global health emergency. They have also released a list called prototype pathogens that could also act as model species for basic science studies and the development of therapies and vaccines, reported Nature.
The priority pathogens in South-East Asia regions are Vibrio Cholera O139, Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1, Henipavirus nipahense, Bandavirus dabieense, Orthoflavivirus denguei and zikaense and Alphavirus chikungunya. The most common prototype pathogen includes Orthohepadnavirus hominoid genotype C. However, the WHO is prepared to tackle pathogen X, by prioritising research on entire pathogen Families as opposed to a handful of individual pathogens.
The World Health Organization has released a list of pathogens that could potentially trigger the next pandemic.The pathogens were selected based on the data and evidence that showed the pathogens were highly contagious and transmissible. According to the report, the number of pathogens has grown to over 30, check which pathogens are these? Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
