WHO updates list of pandemic pathogens, promotes global collaboration

On August 1st, a report was released with the participation of 50 countries and 200 scientists, providing an updated list of microorganisms that could cause future pandemics. This document, which was released by the World Health Organization (WHO), highlights 27 pathogens and variants with a risk considered “high” or “medium”. Among them are viruses that cause diseases such as dengue, zika, chikungunya and mpox (also known as “monkeypox”), and which deserve special attention from the scientific and medical communities.

Pandemic preparedness

At the 2024 Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in July this year, a report was presented that highlights the importance of a more comprehensive approach by researchers and authorities. The document focuses on developing knowledge, tools and countermeasures that can be quickly adapted to new pandemic threats. In addition, it also aims to boost surveillance and research to understand how pathogens transmit disease, infect humans and how the immune system responds to these infections.

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_{The WHO document highlights 27 pathogens and variants of 'high' or 'medium' risk, such as the dengue and Zika viruses (Photo: reproduction/koto_feja/Getty Images Embed)}

Dr. Richard Hatchett, president of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), said the proposed framework aims to guide and coordinate research across entire families of pathogens. The strategy seeks to strengthen global capacity to respond rapidly to unexpected variants, emerging pathogens, zoonotic spillovers and other unknown threats, referred to as disease X.

New pathogens

The report, authored by more than 200 scientists from more than 50 countries, analyzed 1,652 pathogens, including 28 families of viruses and one group of bacteria. Pandemic risk was assessed based on transmissibility, virulence, and availability of diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments. Pathogens such as H5N1 avian influenza, dengue virus (which also causes Zika and chikungunya), and Mpox were identified as particularly dangerous. The previous report listed pandemic pathogens including Zika, Ebola, Nipah, and SARS. The latest update added new microorganisms, including those that cause dengue, chikungunya, cholera, pneumonia, yellow fever, nontyphoidal salmonellosis, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, influenza, and other hemorrhagic fevers.

The full list of pathogens with a high risk of causing pandemics is as follows:

Mammarenavirus lassaense (Lassa fever)

Vibrio cholerae (cholera)

Yersinia pestis (black plague or bubonic plague)

Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 (shigellosis)

Nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica serovars (nontyphoidal salmonellosis)

Klebsiella pneumoniae (pneumonia)

Subgenus Merbecovirus (Middle East respiratory virus)

Subgenus Sarbecovirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome)

Zairean orthoebolavirus (ebola)

Orthomarburgvirus marburgense (marburg)

Sudanese orthoebolavirus (ebola)

Orthoflavivirus zikaense (zika)

Orthoflavivirus dengue (dengue fever)

Orthoflavivirus flavi (yellow fever)

Orthohantavirus sinnombreense (hemorrhagic fever of the Americas)

Orthohantavirus hantanense (hemorrhagic fever)

Orthonairovirus haemorrhagiae (Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever)

Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae H1, H2, H3, H5, H6, H7 and H10 (common flu, bird flu and swine flu)

Henipavirus nipahense (nipah)

Bandavirus dabieense (severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome)

Enterovirus coxsackiepol (hand, foot, and mouth disease)

Orthopoxvirus variola (smallpox)

Orthopoxvirus monkeypox (monkeypox or monkeypox)

Lentivirus humimdef1 (related to neurological and immunosuppressive diseases)

Alphavirus chikungunya (chikungunya)

Venezuelan alphavirus (Venezuelan equine encephalitis)

Pathogen X

Pathogen X, or “disease X,” is a virus that is still unknown to science. WHO has included it on the list to facilitate research and development preparedness. To this end, it is creating a Collaborative Open Research Consortium (CORC) for each pathogen family, with WHO Collaborating Centres as hubs. These consortia will bring together researchers, developers and experts to foster research collaboration and ensure equitable participation, especially in regions with high circulation of known pathogens.

Featured photo: H5N1, dengue (zika, chikungunya) and Mpox are considered dangerous pathogens (Reproduction/kontekbrothers/Getty Images Embed)