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Experts Warn 4 Deadly Viruses Could Trigger The Next Pandemic
A new study published in the British Medical Journal has warned that there could be an outbreak of the next pandemic very soon. Even though there is no clear-cut timeline, experts believe bugs like Ebola, Marburg, SARS, and Nipah could be the major culprits worldwide. Even though the World Health Organisation has prioritized these viruses as the source of the next pandemic, Ebola-like Machupo is one of the major threats to mankind.
Updated Dec 6, 2023 , 09:05 AM IST
Scientists have expressed concerns about how the risk of big four viruses have increased
New Delhi: Scientists across the world are saying that there could be an outbreak of the next pandemic very soon. Even though there is no clear-cut timeline, experts believe bugs like Ebola, Marburg, SARS, and Nipah could be the major culprits worldwide.
According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, deaths from these viruses – half of which spill into humans – are set to increase 12-fold by 2050.
Even though the World Health Organisation has prioritized these viruses as the source of the next pandemic, Ebola-like Machupo is one of the major threats to mankind, the authors of the study have said.
Authors have also expressed concerns about how these “big four” viruses have increased their presence at an exponential rate from the 60s, when they were first discovered.
Ebola and Marburg
Both Ebola and Marburg are two of the most infectious viruses that are found in bats. Across Africa, these viruses have had large outbreaks in the last few years, killing thousands.
According to the study, both viruses, which spread through close contact, can spread globally soon. Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a rare but severe, and often fatal illness in humans, gets transmitted from wild animals, and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
Experts say the average EVD case fatality rate is around 50 per cent.
Both Ebola and Marburg begin abruptly with high fever, severe headache, malaise, and bleeding from the eyes or internal organs.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS is a viral respiratory infection caused by the coronavirus, which also caused COVID-19. SARS severely affects the airways in the lungs and has symptoms like that of flu and common cold, which include headaches, fever, body aches, cough, and pneumonia.
SARS is highly contagious and is passed through respiratory droplets produced when a person with the virus coughs or sneezes, or by contact with objects or surfaces containing the virus.
SARS showed how quickly infection can spread during its first reported outbreak in Asia in February 2003.
Nipah
Nipah, which spreads from fruit bats, could also be a part of the next big pandemic, according to the study. The virus, which attacks the brain causes inflammation and has a fatality rate up to 75 per cent.
Nipah had an outbreak in India’s Kerala this year, killing a few people.
Machupo
Also known as black typhus and Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, Machupo was first discovered in Bolivia in South America in the 50s. Machupo spreads from rodents, which could now be the next pandemic.
The infection has a slow onset with fever, malaise, headache, and myalgia, which are similar to Malaria. Blood spots on the upper body and bleeding from the nose and gums are observed when the disease progresses to the hemorrhagic phase, usually within seven days of onset.
Severe hemorrhagic or neurologic symptoms are observed in about one-third of patients. Neurologic symptoms involve tremors, delirium, and convulsions. The mortality rate is about 25 per cent.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
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