Disease X Could Cause Next Deadly Pandemic, Warns Scientists

A warning has been issued by scientists that Disease X might be the cause of the next pandemic. Influenza, a familiar foe associated with seasonal illness, has emerged as a possible threat for this unpredictable and potentially devastating role.

An international survey, set 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."

Photo Credit: PTI

Influenza Can Trigger the Next Pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that seasonal flu isn't merely a winter nuisance. It is estimated that every year, flu affects 1 billion people worldwide, with millions suffering from severe complications. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of lives are claimed annually by the flu. The WHO emphasizes the dangers posed by new flu strains, against which people have no immunity, urging that influenza be taken seriously.

Cologne University's Research Backs Up This Concern

Concerns are reinforced by research conducted at Cologne University by Jon Salmanton-García. His research indicates that influenza is the biggest threat to the upcoming worldwide pandemic due to its continual evolution and mutation properties. "Each winter influenza appears, you could describe these outbreaks as little pandemics. They are more or less controlled because the different strains that cause them are not virulent enough - but that will not necessarily be the case forever." He said as cited by the Guardian.

Scientists Warn of Disease X

The survey results are set to be announced at the ESCMID congress next weekend. The unidentified "Disease X" virus is considered the next most likely pandemic-causing virus, after influenza, according to experts. It is believed by experts that a new strain of this virus could emerge 'out of the blue' just like Covid-19, which claimed the lives of millions across the globe and still remains a threat.

These concerning details come on the heels of the World Health Organization raising concerns about the alarming spread of the H5N1 strain of influenza spreading rapidly in parts of the US. An "unprecedented surge" in the number of cases has been warned by the organization.

"This appears to be 100 times worse than Covid, or it could be if it mutates and maintains its high case fatality rate. Once it's mutated to infect humans, we can only hope that the [fatality rate] drops." John Fulton a pharmaceutical company consultant, said in a statement earlier.

According to WHO records, the data highlights that since 2003, 52 out of every 100 patients infected with the H5N1 virus have died, resulting in a fatality rate exceeding 50 per cent. This rate is comparatively much higher than the current COVID-19 fatality rate, which stands at 0.1 per cent.