Avian Flu
Strain H5N1 causes particular alarm among epidemiologists. In 2024–2025, the virus managed to cross the species barrier. Now, not only birds but also cows, sheep, foxes, cats, and other animals are getting infected.
People can also contract strain H5N1 after close contact with afflicted animals. According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, 71 human infection cases and two fatalities have been recorded since 2024.
The hazard of avian flu H5N1 lies in its high fatality rate. World Health Organization figures suggest this rate might reach 50% or more. That is, half of those taken ill perish.
However, experts assert that WHO data pertains only to documented infection occurrences. Avian flu may present mildly, with an individual not even seeking medical aid. A Canadian scientists’ study, printed in the journal Epidemiology & Community Health, indicates the actual mortality rate for the H5N1 virus is 14–33% (which is still quite high).
Since the virus successfully overcomes species barriers, there is a risk it might begin spreading from person to person. In that scenario, the world could face a deadly pandemic, more perilous than COVID-19.
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
According to a new WHO report (2025), every sixth bacterial infection globally is already proofed against standard antibiotics. Notably, the proportion of such infections increases by 5–15% yearly. Particularly disturbing is the trend among the most prevalent pathogens—E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter, Salmonella—which cause urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis.
The primary danger is that an increasing number of strains are becoming non-responsive even to last-resort antibiotics. For instance, over 40% of E. coli strains and 55% of Klebsiella strains are resistant to third-generation cephalosporins—first-line drugs. And resistance to carbapenems (antibiotics used for severe infections), which was once uncommon, is rapidly rising.
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For patients, this translates to the possibility that a common bladder infection, a wound infection, or pneumonia could become fatal.
Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
Mutants of the tuberculosis agent (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) are becoming less susceptible to standard antibiotics with each passing year. Specifically, this involves tuberculosis with multidrug and extensively drug resistance (MDR-TB, XDR-TB).
With XDR-TB, routine drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, and others) are ineffective. Instead, long regimens of costly and toxic medicines are employed, often with serious side effects, necessitating hospitalization and prolonged isolation. Treatment success is considerably lower than for regular tuberculosis.
WHO data shows that over 1.25 million people die from tuberculosis annually. Notably, resistant forms are most frequently reported in Central Asian nations, as well as the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Nipah Virus — A Candidate for ‘Disease X’
In 2018, WHO experts introduced the term ‘Disease X’ to denote a pathogen that could precipitate an epidemic or even a pandemic. One such entity could be the Nipah virus, which causes brain inflammation (encephalitis) or severe respiratory ailments.
Fatality ranges from 40–75%. Most recorded cases have followed contact between humans and fruit bats or infected swine.
However, Nipah remains a virus with pandemic potential. It is an RNA virus, and such pathogens mutate rapidly. Theoretically, an altered variant capable of human-to-human transmission could emerge. Moreover, human contact with wildlife has significantly intensified in recent decades. This is due to deforestation and climate change, further increasing the likelihood of a pandemic scenario.
Cholera, Avian Flu, and Three Other Threats to Humanity in 2025
The Main Point
Dangerous infections continue to evolve, and in 2026, threats emanate from both viruses and bacteria. Avian flu H5N1 exhibits the capacity to jump species barriers and possesses high lethality. Superbugs are becoming impervious even to last-line antibiotics, turning common infections into potentially fatal events. Drug-resistant tuberculosis and the Nipah virus complete this troubling roster of hazards.
Yet, risks are escalating not only because of the pathogens themselves but also due to global shifts—urbanization, intimate proximity to wildlife, indiscriminate antibiotic use, and compelled human migration.
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