Key points from article :
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has created a watch list of 24 infectious diseases that could become major public health threats. These include viruses with pandemic potential, drug-resistant bacteria, and diseases that may spread more easily due to climate change. The goal is to encourage research and investment in vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tools before outbreaks occur.
The list features avian flu, mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and Zika, antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as gonorrhea, and highly infectious viruses similar to measles. Public health experts warn that a new measles-like virus could be extremely difficult to control, spreading faster than COVID-19 and posing a greater risk to children.
There is no ranking within the list, as threats constantly evolve. It will be reviewed and updated at least once a year to ensure preparedness. Previous pandemic planning had focused on influenza, which delayed the response to COVID-19. The new approach aims to avoid similar delays by considering a wider range of potential threats.
The list also includes dangerous hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola and Marburg, as well as bacterial infections such as anthrax and plague-causing Yersinia pestis. The rise of drug-resistant infections is a growing concern, making it critical to develop new treatments before current antibiotics become ineffective.
Many of these diseases originate in animals before spreading to humans. Future updates to the list will involve consultation with animal health experts to better track zoonotic threats. The increased surveillance of these pathogens is expected to improve early detection and response.
The full list of 24 diseases and pathogens includes:
- Adenovirus
- Lassa fever
- Norovirus
- MERS
- Ebola (and similar viruses, such as Marburg)
- Flaviviridae (which includes dengue, Zika, and hepatitis C)
- Hantavirus
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
- Flu (non-seasonal, including avian)
- Nipah virus
- Oropouche
- Rift Valley fever
- Acute flaccid myelitis
- Human metapneumovirus (HMPV)
- Mpox
- Chikungunya
- Anthrax
- Q fever
- Enterobacteriaceae (such as E. coli and Yersinia pestis, which causes plague)
- Tularemia
- Moraxellaceae (which cause lung, urine, and bloodstream infections)
- Gonorrhea
- Staphylococcus
- Group A and B Streptococcus
This effort is part of a broader strategy to strengthen global health security. By identifying these threats early, researchers and governments can take proactive steps to prevent future public health emergencies.
