What is Disease X and why the world should prepare for it
3 months, 1 week ago

What is Disease X and why the world should prepare for it

The Hindu  

The story so far The recent outbreak reported in the first week of December 2024 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has claimed over 400 lives and remains unclassified, has raised concerns that it could be an instance of Disease X. When SARS-CoV-2 emerged as an unknown pathogen causing a global pandemic, it exemplified the scenario that Disease X was meant to represent — an unpredictable, novel threat requiring rapid global response and adaptation. The concept of Disease X traces its origins in the aftermath of the West African Ebola epidemic of 2014–2016, which resulted in over 11,000 deaths and revealed significant gaps in global epidemic preparedness. The current list includes Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Nipah virus, Rift Valley fever, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Zika virus, and Disease X. Patterns in emerging diseases While the exact nature of Disease X remains unknown, epidemiological patterns provide critical insights into how new diseases emerge and spread.

Health Global Pandemic Disease Outbreaks Disease X Diseases Unknown Prepare Pathogens Pathogen  diseases  unknown  world  global  prepare  x  outbreaks  pathogens  disease  health  pandemic  pathogen

History of this topic

The Incredible, World-Altering ‘Black Swan’ Events That Could Upend Life in 2025
2 months, 3 weeks ago

The Incredible, World-Altering ‘Black Swan’ Events That Could Upend Life in 2025

Politico  

‘Secessionists Are on the March’ BY AMY ZALMAN Amy Zalman is a strategist and futurist. As Trump’s off-the-cuff comment makes its way from Greater Idaho leadership into the right-wing social media grapevine and, from there, the national news mainstream, it becomes a rallying cry for sympathetic national legislators, and a point of alarm for the many Americans who have never …

AI To GST, Pager Attack To Work-Life Balance: A To Z Of Headlines That Ruled 2024
2 months, 3 weeks ago

AI To GST, Pager Attack To Work-Life Balance: A To Z Of Headlines That Ruled 2024

ABP News  

Words Of The Year 2024: As we bid farewell to 2024, the year leaves behind a lexicon that reflects its pivotal events, cultural shifts, and influential figures. From "Artificial Intelligence" shaping industries to "Donald Trump" remaining a polarising figure in global politics, from "M-pox" dominating health headlines to "Quiet Quitting" redefining workplace dynamics, these terms encapsulate the essence of 2024. …

Undiagnosed disease in DR Congo — what could it be?
3 months, 1 week ago

Undiagnosed disease in DR Congo — what could it be?

ABC  

Tegan Taylor: Norman, I know you're a gym junkie, and I love that about you. Norman Swan: Yeah, so because it's just you and me and nobody else is listening to the conversation, I've always aspired to a six-pack but gave up on that a long time ago. Tegan Taylor: But first, Norman, it's time for us to discuss health …

Mysterious flu-like illness kills 31 in Congo: Is it 'Disease X'?
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Mysterious flu-like illness kills 31 in Congo: Is it 'Disease X'?

India Today  

The United Nations has sent a health team to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where over 31 people, mostly children, have died due to a mysterious illness. While the World Health Organisation has referred to it as an "undiagnosed disease", many experts are referring it to as 'Disease X', a hypothetical pathogen that represents the unknown. As per the WHO, …

‘Disease X’ outbreak in Congo kills 79, WHO rushes to ground zero
3 months, 2 weeks ago

‘Disease X’ outbreak in Congo kills 79, WHO rushes to ground zero

Hindustan Times  

Congo has been hit hard by a mysterious infection, dubbed 'Disease X', which has already claimed 79 lives in the last few days. Among the 376 reported cases, nearly 200 involve children under five years old, according to Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The Africa CDC is supporting Congolese authorities with epidemiologists, lab …

How worried should we be about Disease X?
3 months, 2 weeks ago

How worried should we be about Disease X?

NPR  

How worried should we be about Disease X? "At the Emergency Operation Center for Public Health and at the INSP — which is in maximum alert mode — we've already positioned central-level teams who will leave within 24 hours to join the health zone," says Dr. Dieudonné Mwamba, the director general of INSP, who spoke in French at a press …

World Health Organization updates list of infectious pathogens with pandemic potential
7 months, 2 weeks ago

World Health Organization updates list of infectious pathogens with pandemic potential

Salon  

Another pandemic like COVID-19 is all but guaranteed, according to public health experts. Whether it happens next year or a decade from now, these massive public health emergencies naturally happen on a regular basis, especially as our world gets hotter from climate change and more viruses and other pathogens spill over from our diminishing wilderness. The World Health Organization keeps …

World Health Organization reveals 30 pathogens most likely to trigger next pandemic
7 months, 2 weeks ago

World Health Organization reveals 30 pathogens most likely to trigger next pandemic

Daily Mail  

The World Health Organization has revealed its list of more than 30 pathogens that are most likely to cause the next pandemic. The scientists also added smallpox even though it is currently eradicated, fearing it could be accidentally released in a lab accident and then spread quickly because few people now have immunity against the virus. The list was updated …

Disease X: Scientists warn next pandemic could be triggered by virus of ‘deadly infectious illness'
11 months ago

Disease X: Scientists warn next pandemic could be triggered by virus of ‘deadly infectious illness'

Hindustan Times  

Sounding the alarm for a potential future crisis, scientists warn that the next pandemic might be caused by Disease X. An international survey, to be published next weekend, will reveal that 57% of senior disease experts now believe a strain of influenza virus is the most likely cause of the next global outbreak of “deadly infectious illness.” Alappuzha: Ducks being …

Will we be prepared for "Disease X?" Misinformation could leave us vulnerable to a future pandemic
1 year, 1 month ago

Will we be prepared for "Disease X?" Misinformation could leave us vulnerable to a future pandemic

Salon  

Pandemics have always been a major part of human history, they still dominate our present to some degree, and it would be prudent to prepare for them in the future to avoid the worst case scenario. “There's always the sense of ‘Is there another virus family out there that could cause a problem?’ They needed a “Disease X,” he said. …

Scientifically Speaking | Countering "Disease X": A plan for the unseen threat
1 year, 2 months ago

Scientifically Speaking | Countering "Disease X": A plan for the unseen threat

Hindustan Times  

In September 2023, India faced a concerning outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala's Kozhikode district. The high mortality rate of Nipah infections, coupled with the lack of effective treatments or vaccines, makes the causative virus worrisome enough to be included in the World Health Organization list of priority pathogens. Last week, world leaders convened at the World Economic Forum …

What is Disease X and how will pandemic preparations help the world?
1 year, 2 months ago

What is Disease X and how will pandemic preparations help the world?

Al Jazeera  

WHO Director-General Tedros joined world leaders at the Davos summit to discuss strategies for the next potential pandemic. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a panel of health industry leaders discussed the importance of preplanning for the outbreak of a hypothetical “Disease X”. Labelling this potential threat as “Disease X” is meant to prioritise preparations for dealing with …

World leaders to meet to discuss threat of hypothetical ‘Disease X’ in Davos
1 year, 2 months ago

World leaders to meet to discuss threat of hypothetical ‘Disease X’ in Davos

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It’s known by the placeholder name of Disease X, …

Spike in illnesses isn’t a new pathogen, China reassures WHO
1 year, 4 months ago

Spike in illnesses isn’t a new pathogen, China reassures WHO

Salon  

An outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China has sparked alarm, but the sudden rise in sickness is not related to a new virus, according to Chinese health authorities. So far, the data suggests that there’s nothing out of the ordinary, but both the WHO and China have been criticized in the past for not being entirely transparent about the COVID-19 …

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Unanswered questions, lessons learnt and ongoing challenges
1 year, 5 months ago

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Unanswered questions, lessons learnt and ongoing challenges

Firstpost  

The COVID-19 pandemic that impacted all aspects of human life, quite literally cancelled the planet. Was any internal advice given to the Government of India that the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna were better, despite the fact that they were significantly more expensive and difficult to administer? Covishield, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca in the UK, is similar to previous …

Disease X: Potential global pandemic 20 times deadlier than COVID
1 year, 5 months ago

Disease X: Potential global pandemic 20 times deadlier than COVID

Op India  

With COVID-19 evolving into a persistent and increasingly known health challenge, global healthcare experts are now preparing for a possible emergence of “Disease X.” They warn that this novel virus could potentially yield an impact that can be twice that of the catastrophic pandemic Spanish Flu of 1918-1920. Today, we could expect a similar death toll from one of the …

Disease X Dangerous Than COVID-19, Can Claim 50 Million Lives: Health Expert
1 year, 5 months ago

Disease X Dangerous Than COVID-19, Can Claim 50 Million Lives: Health Expert

News 18  

Scientists across the world fear that in the near future, another potential pandemic will arise, which will be far more deadly than COVID-19. Recently, a health expert from the United Kingdom said that a potential pandemic can be caused by Disease X, a name coined by the World Health Organization. According to health expert, Dame Kate Bingham, who chaired the …

What is Disease X and Why Are People Talking About it?
1 year, 5 months ago

What is Disease X and Why Are People Talking About it?

News 18  

As health experts from across the globe caution people about ‘Disease X’, panicky social media users resorted to ‘X’ to put forward their queries. Another person wrote, “What if ‘disease x’ doesn’t exist and all this is hypothetical so that they are prepared if a disease of this magnitude occurs?” Here are a few posts: What is Disease X?It's supposed …

’Disease X’ could be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19, says expert. Top 10 points
1 year, 6 months ago

’Disease X’ could be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19, says expert. Top 10 points

Live Mint  

As COVID-19 transitions into a recurring and more familiar health concern, healthcare professionals in the UK are now gearing up for a potential new pandemic known as "Disease X." After all, even Covid-19 - a milder virus than Disease X - managed to leave us holding a bill for $16 trillion in both lost output and public health expenditure." Nevertheless, …

Disease X vaccine ‘could be ready within 100 days of new threat emerging’
1 year, 6 months ago

Disease X vaccine ‘could be ready within 100 days of new threat emerging’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This is a groundbreaking commitment from CEPI to provide momentum that will drive the …

‘Disease X’ can cause a more fatal pandemic? What WHO says
1 year, 9 months ago

‘Disease X’ can cause a more fatal pandemic? What WHO says

Live Mint  

The World Health Organisation has chalked out priority disease under their scanner at the present. These include- -Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever -Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease -Lassa fever -Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Nipah and henipaviral diseases -Rift Valley fever -Zika -“Disease X”* The presence of this apocalyptic sounding 'Disease X" has caused concern …

WHO, Believes Disease X Could Create A Pandemic Like Situation, All You Need To Know
1 year, 10 months ago

WHO, Believes Disease X Could Create A Pandemic Like Situation, All You Need To Know

News 18  

As the world gradually returns to a sense of normalcy following the unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the scientific and public health communities remain steadfast in their preparations for future outbreaks and pandemics. As the global community reflects on the challenges and lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, the pursuit of knowledge and preventive measures against future outbreaks …

World must prepare for disease more deadlier than Covid, WHO chief warns
1 year, 10 months ago

World must prepare for disease more deadlier than Covid, WHO chief warns

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The head of the World Health Organisation warned on Tuesday that …

The resurgence of COVID-19 needs to be tackled scientifically
2 years, 1 month ago

The resurgence of COVID-19 needs to be tackled scientifically

China Daily  

A medical staff administers a second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine for a resident through nose at a temporary vaccination site in Haidian district, Beijing, capital of China, Dec 17, 2022. Data from Feb 16 shows that only 1.1 percent of people in China had tested positive after nucleic acid testing nationwide, down from 29.2 percent during the peak; visits …

WHO Says Covid-19 Remains 'Global Health Emergency'
2 years, 1 month ago

WHO Says Covid-19 Remains 'Global Health Emergency'

News 18  

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be a “global health emergency” and the deadly virus will remain a “permanently established pathogen” in humans and animals for the foreseeable future, according to the World Health Organisation. “Three years ago today, I declared a public health emergency of international concern over the global spread of COVID-19 – the highest level of alarm under …

COVID is still a global emergency but may be nearing an ‘inflection point,’ WHO says
2 years, 1 month ago

COVID is still a global emergency but may be nearing an ‘inflection point,’ WHO says

LA Times  

COVID-19 remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization’s chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found that the pandemic may be nearing an “inflection point” where higher levels of immunity can lower coronavirus-related deaths. Speaking at the opening of the WHO’s annual executive board meeting, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “there is no doubt that we’re …

Lessons From COVID: What The World Needs to Learn to Tackle Future Pandemics
2 years, 2 months ago

Lessons From COVID: What The World Needs to Learn to Tackle Future Pandemics

The Quint  

The costly lesson from COVID: why elimination should be the default global strategy for future pandemics Getty Images Imagine it is 2030. An upgraded pandemic response to eliminate at source The process by which the WHO currently decides whether to declare a public health emergency of international concern has drawn criticism for being too slow. Elimination makes sense for other …

China’s Covid-19 spike is a worry
2 years, 3 months ago

China’s Covid-19 spike is a worry

Hindustan Times  

China is now in the grip of its worst Covid-19 outbreak, having been forced to dismantle its restrictive virus control measures when near-unprecedented protests erupted against the Xi Jinping administration. While other countries completed the first round of mass vaccinations within 2021, nearly half of those above the age of 80 in China – the most vulnerable to Covid-19 -- …

Explained | Disease X: Tracking the next pandemic
2 years, 3 months ago

Explained | Disease X: Tracking the next pandemic

The Hindu  

The story so far: World Health Organisation on Monday said that it is updating the list of priority pathogens that “pose the greatest public health risk due to their epidemic potential and/or whether there is no or insufficient countermeasures”. The WHO uses this blueprint to guide responses to outbreaks and improve global response for future epidemics – covered under and …

WHO ranks world’s worst pathogens at risk of sparking pandemics
2 years, 4 months ago

WHO ranks world’s worst pathogens at risk of sparking pandemics

The Independent  

The World Health Organization said on Monday that it is developing a new priority list of pathogens with the potential to spark global pandemics or outbreaks. “To support this effort the R&D Blueprint will convene 20-25 viral family groups of experts to independently review the science and to shortlist viruses of concern,” the WHO said in a statement. “Targeting priority …

Disease X, other future pandemics causing pathogens to be identified by WHO
2 years, 4 months ago

Disease X, other future pandemics causing pathogens to be identified by WHO

Live Mint  

The World Health Organization will soon be updating the list of priority pathogens, including “Disease X”, that can cause future outbreaks and pandemics. The WHO, in a statement, said that the health body is convening over 300 scientists who will consider the evidence on over 25 virus families and bacteria and the “Disease X”, which can cause a serious international …

WHO identifying potential pandemic pathogens
2 years, 4 months ago

WHO identifying potential pandemic pathogens

Live Mint  

The World Health Organization said on Monday it was thrashing out a new list of priority pathogens that risk sparking pandemics or outbreaks and need to be kept under close observation. "Targeting priority pathogens and virus families for research and development of countermeasures is essential for a fast and effective epidemic and pandemic response," said WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan. …

COVID-19 in endemic phase, experts feel
2 years, 4 months ago

COVID-19 in endemic phase, experts feel

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: With hospitalisation and number of deaths due to COVID-19 remaining miniscule for the past few months despite people largely not adhering to behavioural norms, experts feel the prevalence of the viral disease has reached its endemic stage. Though cases especially in the high risk group may have relatively been more severe, currently the mortality is negligible and similar …

A Recent Study Has Connected Climate Hazards To 58% Of Infectious Diseases
2 years, 7 months ago

A Recent Study Has Connected Climate Hazards To 58% Of Infectious Diseases

News 18  

Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, including malaria, hantavirus, cholera and anthrax, a study says. Researchers looked through the medical literature of established cases of illnesses and found that 218 out of the known 375 human infectious diseases, or 58%, seemed to be …

Effects of Infectious Diseases Exacerbated Due to Climate Hazards, Study Shows
2 years, 7 months ago

Effects of Infectious Diseases Exacerbated Due to Climate Hazards, Study Shows

News 18  

Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, including malaria, hantavirus, cholera and anthrax, a study says. Researchers looked through the medical literature of established cases of illnesses and found that 218 out of the known 375 human infectious diseases, or 58%, seemed to be …

Study connects climate hazards to 58% of infectious diseases
2 years, 7 months ago

Study connects climate hazards to 58% of infectious diseases

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Researchers looked through the medical …

What is ‘Disease X’? Why top experts are warning of another pandemic?
2 years, 8 months ago

What is ‘Disease X’? Why top experts are warning of another pandemic?

Live Mint  

‘Disease X’ is causing much a concern in Britain and accordingly, health experts have urged the government to remain prepared for a new pathogen owing to the fact that the country has seen several infections in the recent past. Medical experts have warned, as reported by The Mirror, “We're living through a new pandemic era, and Disease X’ could be …

WHO warns coronavirus is far from settling into endemic situation
2 years, 11 months ago

WHO warns coronavirus is far from settling into endemic situation

Al Jazeera  

WHO official says COVID is still capable of causing huge epidemics. COVID-19 is far from becoming an endemic disease and could still trigger large outbreaks around the globe, the World Health Organization said. “I certainly do not believe we’ve reached anything close to an endemic situation with this virus,” Ryan told a question-and-answer session on the WHO’s social media channels. …

Is Covid-19 endemic yet? Experts aren’t so sure
2 years, 11 months ago

Is Covid-19 endemic yet? Experts aren’t so sure

CNN  

This is the weekly edition of CNN’s coronavirus newsletter. “I think we’ve done a huge disservice using the word ‘endemic,’ frankly,” Michael Fraser, executive director of the US Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, told an audience of mostly public health officers during a panel discussion at the 2022 Preparedness Summit in Atlanta on Thursday. “We tend to think …

COVID-19 virus likely continues to evolve but severity reduces over time: WHO
2 years, 11 months ago

COVID-19 virus likely continues to evolve but severity reduces over time: WHO

China Daily  

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Dec 20, 2021. GENEVA - SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is likely to keep evolving as transmission continues globally, but its severity will reduce due to immunity acquired by vaccination and infection, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. Speaking at …

Pandemic or endemic: Where is COVID heading next?
3 years, 1 month ago

Pandemic or endemic: Where is COVID heading next?

Al Jazeera  

Some political leaders are calling for COVID to be treated as an endemic disease, but scientists warn that talk of a pandemic endgame is premature. “I think we are leading Europe in the transition from pandemic to endemic and we’re leading the way in showing the world how you can live with COVID.” However, officials from the World Health Organization …

COVID-19 is heading towards 'endemic', says AIIMS senior epidemiologist
3 years, 2 months ago

COVID-19 is heading towards 'endemic', says AIIMS senior epidemiologist

India TV News  

Highlights "COVID-19 is heading towards an endemic stage," says AIIMS senior epidemiologist "COVID-19 is RNA virus and the virus has mutated thousands of times," Dr Sanjay Rai said Dr Rai also said that Omicron spread is happening in the country and mainly in metro cities A senior epidemiologist at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi on Sunday said …

Explained: What will it be like when Covid-19 pandemic becomes endemic
3 years, 2 months ago

Explained: What will it be like when Covid-19 pandemic becomes endemic

India Today  

Just like the word "pandemic", the term "endemic" is also being used now by scientists and health experts in relation to Covid-19. Determined to escape the crisis and avoid more restrictions, some European countries such as Spain have started making tentative plans for when they might start treating Covid-19 as an endemic disease, like seasonal flu. According to Catherine Smallwood, …

What does it mean for Covid-19 to be endemic and not a pandemic? Explained
3 years, 2 months ago

What does it mean for Covid-19 to be endemic and not a pandemic? Explained

India TV News  

Highlights Some European countries such as Spain are making plans to make Covid-19 an 'endemic'. Some European countries such as Spain are making tentative plans for when they might start treating COVID-19 as an “endemic” disease, but the World Health Organization and other officials have warned that the world is nowhere close to declaring the pandemic over. The World Health …

Covid-19 marches toward endemic status in US as Omicron spreads
3 years, 3 months ago

Covid-19 marches toward endemic status in US as Omicron spreads

Live Mint  

The Omicron variant’s aggressive advance is the latest twist in the course of a disease that public-health experts say is on a path toward becoming endemic in the U.S. “I don’t think there’s going to be a day where the whole thing feels over," said Joshua Schiffer, an associate professor in the vaccine and infectious disease division at Fred Hutchinson …

With Omicron's emergence, scientists rewrite Covid-19 plan for 2022
3 years, 3 months ago

With Omicron's emergence, scientists rewrite Covid-19 plan for 2022

India Today  

As the Omicron variant gains momentum in Europe and the United States, scientists are rewriting their expectations for the Covid-19 pandemic next year. "People are sick of the pandemic and God knows I am, but unless we can get some urgency to compel our leaders to take action, I really see 2022 being a lot of more of the same …

Covid May be Entering Stage of 'Endemicity'. What it Means, Why You May Never be Able to Bid Virus Adieu
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid May be Entering Stage of 'Endemicity'. What it Means, Why You May Never be Able to Bid Virus Adieu

News 18  

Covid-19 in India may be entering some kind of stage of ‘endemicity’ where there is low or moderate level of transmission going on, Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation Dr Soumya Swaminathan said. “As far as India is concerned that seems to be what is happening and because of size of India and heterogeneity of population and immunity status …

Premature, unrealistic to think COVID-19 will end soon: WHO
4 years ago

Premature, unrealistic to think COVID-19 will end soon: WHO

India TV News  

A senior World Health Organization official said Monday it was “premature” and “unrealistic” to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death. WHO’s director-general, meanwhile, said it was “regrettable” that younger and healthier adults in some rich countries are …

What will it take to stay one step ahead of a mutating COVID-19?
4 years, 1 month ago

What will it take to stay one step ahead of a mutating COVID-19?

Al Jazeera  

As new variants of COVID-19 rage around the world, we examine how scientists are fighting to be able to anticipate them – and how this will translate into government policy at home. “What we’re not doing now is looking at how many people are going to the grocery store, or on public transport,” Cobey says – ie, epidemiologists still only …

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