Western specialists have outlined a worrying scenario: as early as 2026, humankind might confront a fresh pandemic of “Disease X.” As reported by the Daily Star, the danger stems from mutations of four specific viruses: avian influenza, monkeypox, rubella, and the exotic Oropouche fever.
Michael Head from Southampton University links the risks to a significant drop in global vaccination rates (especially the MMR vaccine). This opens the door for the return of old infections and the unchecked spread of new strains, as is already happening with monkeypox in Europe.
Virologist Ed Hutchinson is particularly concerned about avian influenza H5N1. The pathogen has evolved and now affects mammals, including cattle, presenting a real threat of widespread human infection through dairy products. Concurrently, the range of the Oropouche virus is expanding in America. The report’s authors caution: each of these agents could theoretically become that very “Disease X” that the world will be unprepared for.
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