The Threat of Impending Pandemics: A Proactive Approach

Abstract

The incessant occurrence of devastating health-related events, either on a large scale, such as pandemics, or in a local community in the form of sporadic outbreaks due to infectious agents, warrants a rapid, target-oriented, well-organized response team to combat the demonic consequences. While the world has been recovering from the clutches of the recent disastrous COVID-19 pandemic, the struggles against novel emerging and re-emerging pathogens such as monkeypox (mpox), newer evolving strains of influenza, Ebola, Zika, and the yellow fever virus continue to date. Therefore, a multisectoral, intercontinental, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and highly dedicated approach should always be implemented to achieve optimal health and avert future threats.

Keywords: influenza; mers; pandemic; preparedness; sars; zoonosis.

Figure 1. The depiction of the emergence of pandemics with an initial circulation of pathogens in wildlife followed by a spillover to humans leading to its global spread

The image has been created by the authors.

Figure 2. The main alarming signs of pandemics are a sudden increase in the number of cases and bigger clusters of cases beyond familiar geographical areas, the occurrence of diseases beyond known species, and the appearance of newer, unrecognized clinical manifestations

Figure 3. The roadmap to a strategic approach to genomic surveillance includes: the identification of hotspots of emerging infections on a global level; periodic and systematic scanning for zoonotic spillovers, especially among sentinel populations like wet market workers, butchers, vets, and susceptible animals; surveillance of known pathogens with pandemic potential

The image has been created by the authors.