Disease X is not an emerging illness. It's a possible illness that hasn't been identified yet that could start the next pandemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) accepted Disease X as a stand-in term in 2018.
WHO defines it as the awareness that a pathogen that is presently unknown to cause disease in humans could be the source of a severe global epidemic.
It is included in the list of priority diseases for R&D in the event of a public health emergency, as established by WHO.
Why is it that people are discussing it now?
The World Health Organization has been alerting world leaders to the dangers of upcoming pandemics during this week's annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. According to some, this could incite fear, says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. Not at all. It is preferable to plan ahead and foresee potential events because they have frequently occurred in our history.
What could be Disease X?
The reason it is named Disease X is because we don't know. Even before the covid-19 outbreak, a wide group of viruses known as the coronaviruses were considered a serious threat to cause a new pandemic. This is due to the fact that this group of pathogens included other deadly ones before the new coronavirus. A distinct coronavirus began to circulate in China in 2002. It produced SARS pneumonia, which killed around 1 in 10 of people it infected before stringent infection control methods eradicated it. Every now and again, a second, more deadly coronavirus known as MERS erupts, killing one in three of people afflicted with pneumonia. Recent research indicates that SARS and MERS would be less likely to start a new pandemic, though, as practically everyone in the globe already carries antibodies against the covid-19 virus, which appears to provide some protection against the majority of other coronavirus diseases.
How will the WHO monitor the upcoming pandemic?
R&D Blueprint for Action to Prevent Epidemics: To prevent outbreaks from becoming public health emergencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) gathered a network of experts in 2015 to create the R&D Blueprint for Action to Prevent Epidemics.
The 2014 West African Ebola outbreak made it very clear that such a plan was needed.
Goal: The plan outlines objectives and areas of priority research to hasten the development of diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments for illnesses brought on by the priority pathogens on the list.
Process: To inform epidemic responses, target product profiles (TPP) and an R&D roadmap are developed for each disease on the list of priority pathogens.
The plan shifts from R&D preparedness to an emergency R&D response plan upon the detection of an outbreak.
The Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) are two more partners with which the Blueprint collaborates.
Significance: By incorporating research into response, the R&D roadmap is a valuable tool for identifying health innovations that are beneficial in saving lives.
The WHO employs this model to direct response to epidemics and enhance international response in the event of future pandemics.
The R&D Blueprint was put to the test during the 2016 Zika outbreak
Existing contenders that possess the capacity to cause a pandemic?
Numerous illnesses, some well-known and others less so, have the potential to be a worldwide hazard. In the past, flu strains have been responsible for multiple worldwide pandemics, such as the 1918 "Spanish flu," which was one of the deadliest disease outbreaks ever. Right now, a very contagious type of bird flu is going around the globe. It can occasionally go from birds to mammals and cause massive extinctions. It was identified as the cause of 17,000 juvenile elephant seal deaths in Argentina in October of last year only this past week. Then there are other candidates, including Ebola, which can result in serious bleeding, and Zika, which is spread by mosquitoes and can cause smaller-headed kids if an infection develops during pregnancy. In 2022, the WHO revised its list of viruses with the highest potential for pandemics.
How can Disease X be prevented?
The covid-19 pandemic may have made it simpler to halt any subsequent Disease X outbreak, which is good news. Covid-19 sparked the creation of innovative vaccination designs, such as those that are easily adaptable to target new infections. For example, it paved the way for the development of mRNA-based vaccinations. This formula comprises a brief genetic segment that causes the body's immune cells to create the coronavirus "spike" protein; but, by altering the mRNA sequence, it may be modified to cause the cells to manufacture a different protein.
Is there anything more we can do to combat Disease X?
According to Tedros, nations need to improve their early warning systems for emerging illnesses and strengthen their health systems' capacity to withstand sudden spikes in demand. "We lost a lot of people because we could not handle them when hospitals were overburdened [with COVID]. Both space and oxygen were in short supply. Tedros believes that in order to keep things from happening again in the event of Disease X, health services need to be ready to scale up or down as needed. Fortunately, they don't need to know the specifics of Disease X to start making such precautions. He claims that "Disease X is a placeholder." "You can get ready for any disease that you may have."
Conclusion
Disease X serves as a placeholder for unknown potential pandemics, prompting global preparedness through WHO's R&D Blueprint. Insights from past outbreaks, innovations like mRNA-based vaccines, and enhanced early warning systems are critical in mitigating future health crises. As highlighted by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, proactive measures and adaptable health systems play a crucial role in preventing and addressing emerging diseases, ensuring a resilient response to the unpredictable nature of Disease X.
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