- Some of the diseases that have caused the deadliest outbreaks in history are the Black Death, smallpox, and measles.
- The WHO coined the term “disease X” to describe the emergence of a new or known pathogen that can cause a new pandemic.
- The most recent version of the list was published at the end of 2022 and includes several pathologies for which the production of vaccines and medicines needs to be accelerated.
Throughout history the world has overcome all types of adversities ranging from natural disasters to preventable events. At the same time, it is necessary to be prepared for future eventualities that may occur to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Therefore it is necessary to talk about the disease X and its potential to cause a new pandemic.
This issue is of great importance due to the recent past caused by Covid-19. To date, it is considered the disease that caused the most serious health emergency of the last century. Furthermore, it has not disappeared because it is even predicted that during the final part of 2023 there will be a significant increase in cases throughout the planet.
The 5 deadliest pandemics in recorded history
Now, although there will be more infections, it is also expected that the mortality rate will remain at low levels. All this is thanks to the vaccination campaigns that have been useful in reducing the severity of the SARS CoV-2 virus. Although we cannot ignore the constant appearance of new variants that can be more infectious and dangerous.
Disease X, can it really cause a new pandemic?
On the other hand, it is also necessary to remember that in the past the world has suffered from other outbreaks of deadly diseases that have spread to several countries. From the black plague to smallpox and measles. Although today all of the aforementioned can be controlled through treatments and immunizations, it should not be ruled out that other similar problems may arise in the future.
With this in mind, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently coined the term Disease In reality, it does not refer to a pathology but is applied to any pathogen that can cause a new large outbreak.
WHO updates list of pathogens that could cause new pandemics: From Ebola to Disease
Based on the above, since 2017 the highest health organization has published a list of the diseases that it considers should be a priority. The objective is to promote and accelerate the development of new vaccines and treatments for each of the aforementioned pathologies.
Diseases that are a priority for developing new vaccines
The most recent version of the document is published at the end of 2022 and contains various pathologies that could become disease X and cause a new pandemic.
- Covid-19.
- Crimean-Cong hemorrhagic fever.
- Ebola virus disease.
- Marburg virus disease.
- Lassa fever.
- Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
- Nipah virus.
- Henipaviral diseases.
- Rift Valley Fever.
For some of the diseases mentioned there are already vaccines, but what is desired is to expand the list of available options. While there are others like Nipah Virus for which no treatments have been developed and therefore the production of drugs and immunizations needs to be accelerated.
Also read:
The 5 deadliest pandemics in recorded history
WHO updates list of pathogens that could cause new pandemics: From Ebola to Disease
Would the Coronavirus Covid-19 be the feared “disease X” predicted by the WHO in 2018?