9 Viruses With Pandemic Potential

While the world is still focused on the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, epidemiologists continue to monitor for new viral threats, attempting to get ahead of them before they become the next global pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) keeps a list of the viruses and bacteria that are of most concern. WHO liaised with 300 scientists and researchers to produce this list of nine viruses that keep epidemiologists up at night.

Nipah Virus

• Nipah is carried by both domestic animals and fruit bats. It is transmitted to humans through contact with an infected animal and through contaminated foods. When a virus hops from its animal host to a human is it called a “spillover virus”.
• It has a 40% to 75% fatality rate, often due to encephalitis, the swelling of the brain. There is no vaccine available but preventative measures include avoiding exposure to sick animals and avoiding fruits that may have come in contact with bats. 

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

• This virus is spread to humans by both ticks and livestock. Transmission between humans typically occurs through bodily fluids and blood.
• The disease, which has a 10% to 40% fatality rate, is endemic and occurs regularly throughout the Balkans, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
• The antiviral drug ribavirin appears to help, but the virus is worrying because sick animals often show no symptoms. 

Lassa Fever

• This virus, endemic in West Africa, is spread through the feces and urine of rodents to humans.
• The fatality rate is 1% but hospitalization rates are 15%. It is particularly deadly for third-trimester fetuses and can cause deafness in those infected. 

Rift Valley Fever

• Found in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Africa, it is spread by mosquitoes that infect livestock like cattle and sheep, and to humans via mosquito bites or contact with infected animals. It spreads between people through blood and bodily fluids.
• The fatality rate is 1%, but 8-10% of people develop eye lesions, brain swelling, and hemorrhagic fever, which can be deadly. A vaccine has been created but has not been released.  

Zika

• Zika is spread by mosquitoes, but can easily spread from a pregnant person to a fetus and via blood transfusions, drug needles, and sexual contact.
• It is rarely fatal but can cause brain defects in fetuses. There is no vaccine available. 

Ebola and Marburg Virus

• Bats and primates are the main carriers of the virus, and once a human has been infected they can spread the virus via blood, bodily fluids, and by leaving virus particles on objects and surfaces.
• The disease only spreads when an infected person is symptomatic, however, the fatality rate is high, varying between 25% to 90%. 

MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome)

• Part of the coronavirus family, MERS is spread via camels to humans, and then between humans via close contact with an infected person.
• The fatality rate is 35% and 27 countries have reported cases in the past decade. A vaccine is in the works.

SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome)

• Palm civets and bats are the sources of SARS. After a spillover event, it spreads through droplets from coughs and sneezes and through contact with infected surfaces.
• It has a 1% fatality rate. No vaccine has been developed but SARS is typically only infectious once someone has noticeable symptoms, making it easier to contain than Covid-19.

Disease X

• National Geographic has said that there are more virus variations on earth than there are stars in the universe.
• WHO acknowledges the existence of countless unknown viruses and bacteria that could pose a future threat.

Are you worried about a new pandemic or virus outbreak?

—Emma Kansiz

(Photo Credits: Wikipedia)