‘Disease X’—time to act now and prepare for the next pandemic threat

Abstract

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic illustrates, current global public health systems are inadequately prepared for preventing zoonotic emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) threats. The WHO, in 2018, has included the ‘PathogenX’, in the list of priority pathogens with the potential to threaten global health security. PathogenX may be any type of microorganism and, although most of the 400 emerging pathogens are bacteria, experts believe that the next is likely to be a virus. ¹