Los patógenos más temidos: 9 enfermedades que podrían causar una gran epidemia – Blog

These son emerging pathogens that most concern WHO, according to a list elaborated in 2016 and that was updated in 2024

A first list of pathogenas

2016, after the Ebola epidemic in Western Álica, the WHO established a Pathogens emerging list susceptible to causing the next pandemic. What had in common the 9 pathogens on the list? All son virus Of which at the moment there was little relativmete and for which There were no vaccines or treatment. Emerging son because, a registered that they have been for hundreds of years in Animal reservesRecientse (in recent decades) are identified by causing cooling in humans. Son feared for their high mortality rate and because, although their infection rate can be low, hospital conditions or genetic mutations could increase the ease with which people are transmitted.

What will be next Cooling X?

Aviar flu: Should we worry?

A dozen emerogenic diseases

The following year, WHO added two pathogens to the list with the ability to cause disease in humans).

The 2023, an Asura procurement began for shareholding the list of preseriter pathogens for its pandemic potential. WHO also published a Priority pathogenic fungus list In Resistant bacteria an antibiotic that representative the mayor threatens public health.

The emerging of the viruses of the years that worry more, according to the original list, son:

1 and 2. Ebola and Marburg

The virus of Ebola It was first identified in 1976 and the Frame In 1967. both can jump from their natural reservation (bats) to the human and other primates. A start from there, the virus transmits characters through contact with body fluids. Both diseases are characterized by fever, diarrhea, vomiting and hemorrhages, and have a lethality rate that varies between 25 and 90%. Subespecie of five Ebola virus, of which the subspecies Zaire has caused the mayor number of outbreaks and deaths. The most lethal outbreak of Ebola has been the one that affected Western Africa (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea) between 2014 and 2016, with more than 11,000 deaths.

Since the list was published in 2016, they have been authorized Two ebola vaccinesBoth directed against the Zaire subtype and Two treatments Based on monoclonal antibodies (also directed to the Zaire subtype).

The Marburg virus is also endemic to Africa and outbreaks have been reported in Uganda, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and South Africa. There are really no vaccinas or abrupt treatments for Marburg, although there are several products in Clinical forms.

3. Lassa Fever

The virus of Lassa It was first identified in 1950 and its reservoir is a rat (of the genre Mastomys). Man is transmitted to the inhalation of aerosols or the ingestion of food contaminated by urine or feces of the rat. The transmission between people is also possible through contact with body fluids and it is estimated that up to 20% of the cases of the LASA are due to the transmission between humans, with some individual individuals who act as «super propagadores».

Although 80% of infected people do not develop symptoms, one in five infections can result in a serious and deadly fer, between 15 and 20% of the Pac Hospitalized by Lassa Fever dies of ferry. Not extensive vaccine, although there is an antiviral treatment (ribavirin) effective relativamament. Cooling is endemic to West Africa and has gained hundreds of lives in recent years, particular in Nigeria.

4. Crimea Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (FHCC)

The virus of the FHCC It was first identified in 1944 in Crimea and transmitted to the main human being through ticks and cattle. There could also be transmission between people by narrow contact with body fluids. The virus causes a hemorrhagic fever whose lethality rate could reach 50%. There is no vaccine, although the ribavirin drug has been used to treat the infectious. Cooling is endemic in countries located below the 5th northern latitude, in Álica, Los Balkans, the Middle East and Asia. Cases have also been notified in Spain and other countries in Eastern Europe.

5. Rift Valley Fever (FVR)

The virus of Rift Valleywhich was identified for a priale time in 1931 in Kenya, affects Dodo to animals, but can also infect humans. Its average mortality rate is very low (1%). However, in some cases the virus can cause severe cooling characterized by eye symptoms, encephalitis and/or hemorrhagic fever, in which case the mortality is 50%. The main transmitted by the manipulation or ingestion of Sanzre, organs or milk of infected animals. However, it can also be transmitted by gender mosquito bites Aedes Or infected flies. At the moment there has been no transmission between humans. A series of candidate vaccines are being investigated. Outbreaks in Africa, Yemen and Saudi Arabia have been reported.

6. Mers

The coronavirus causing Middle East Respiratory Syndrome It is first described in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Camells seem to be an important reservoir of the virus, although the vast majority of cases described are due to transmission between people, almost excusivamatere in the hospital environment. It is a little contagious virus, which is mainly transmitted by close contact with respiratory secretions, for example cough. Its mortality rate is 40% and affects. The vast majority of cases reports are concentrated in the Arabian peninsula although an outbreak in South Korea in 2015, caused by an imported canoe, confirmation of the virus pandemic.

7. Sars

He Acute respiratory syndrome tomb He is provided by another Coronavirus, similar to that of the MERS and very similar to the SARS-COV-2. His natural reservoir is not known with certainty but they seem to be bat and the gyneta (a wild carnvor similar to a cat). It was reported for the first time in Asia in 2003, although Rapidamete disregarded more than twelve countries in America, Europe and Asia causing 8,000 cases and more than 800 docks. Unlike the Mers, the Sars also transmitted outside the hospital context and most of those affected are healthy and young people. Since 2004 no other Sars case has been reported.

8 and 9. NIFOH VIRUS AND SEMA

Both virus belong to the same family and also have the bat as reservoir. He NIFOH It was first identified in 1999 after an outbreak dechelitis between pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore. Since then, periodic outbreaks have been reported in Bangladesh. It causes light cooling in pigs, but serious in humans, with a lethality between 40 and 70%.

The NIFAH causes light cooling in pigs, but serious in humans, with a lethality between 40 and 70%

It is transmitted to the human by direct contact with bats, sap of datile palms infected with their excrent, or infected pigs. Transmission between people, probably via saliva, has been observed in Bangladesh’s outbreaks. The infectious can be prevented by avoiding exposure to infected pigs and the consumption of savia of datile palm trees. Regarding virus HendraOnly one outbreak of cooling in Australia has been informed, in 1994, which affected seven humans, with a mortality rate of 60%.

Chikunguaña and Zika

Chikunguaña and Zika viruses are not included when the list was established, but fuel designated as a threat, which deserves a mayor investment in I & D. In view of the strong associature observed between fetal malformations and Zika infections in emarazadas women, the outbreak in Latin America in 2016 was declared by WHO as an emergency of international public health and the virus went to these list to the list.

Cooling x

In February 2018, WHO added the Cooling x to the list of emerging priority diseases. He did it to call the absence about the fact that there are very many pathogens still unknown capable of causing an epidemic or pandemic, and the need to develop tools (vaccines, treatments, diagnosis) in front of entire families to derive, in viruse, vaccines, treatments, diagnosis) in front of whole families of Derorus, in viruses, vaccines, treatments, diagnosis) in front of whole families of whole families Viruse Specific. The COVID-19, caused by a coronavirus very similar to SARS (which was already on the list), is a perfect example of disease X.

With this priority list of «dangerous suspects» it is expected to make the investigation of the development of diagnostic tools, vaccines and therapy that are effective to the buries of viruses.

Eight years later: a broader list of pathogens

On July 30, 2024, WHO published its R&D plan for Cooling with epidemic or pandemic power. Unlike the 2017 list, this new version does not focus only on individual pathogens, but on Virus and bacteria buff families. The result: a more complete list that inclines 34 PATHOGEN PRIORITYS distributed in 16 families. Cadada one was selected according to three key criteria:

• Transmun: How easy they spread and why

• Virulence: How lethal son

• Contramedidas: whether or not there are diagnoses, treatments or vaccines

This priority list of «dangerous suspects» should serve as a basis for accelerating the research and development of diagnosis, vaccines and treatments, without soloists against the specific virus, but also Against broader viral families (For example, vaccines that proterate all betacoronavirus), and thus prevent another health and humanitarian crisis such as that caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

[Este artículo se publicó originalmente el 2 de febrero de 2016 y la última actualización data de Abril de 2025].