Latest news with #DiseaseX
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
New coronavirus only ‘one small step from spilling over into humans' and sparking widespread outbreak, say scientists
A NEW coronavirus may only be "a small step away from spilling over into humans", scientists have warned - sparking fears of another pandemic. Scientists believe the variant, called 1 Dr Michael Letko, a molecular virologist at WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine, is leading the research into the concerning variant Credit: Ted S. Warren/College of Veterinary Medicine/WSU American scientists fear the virus - found in China - may be one small mutation away from also being able to infect humans, which could lead to a widespread outbreak. The new study, published in , looked at a lesser-known group of coronaviruses called merbecoviruses. It includes HKU5 and MERS-CoV, which is responsible for the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. First noted in 2012, the virus typically spreads from infected camels to humans and causes severe respiratory disease, which can be fatal to 34 per cent of its victims. Read more on pandemics The research team, which included scientists at Washington State University (WSU), the California Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina, sought to understand how merbecoviruses infiltrate the cells of their hosts. While most bugs in the group seemed to pose little threat to people, scientists said one subgroup, HKU5, has concerning traits. Michael Letko, a virologist at WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine, said: "Merbecoviruses – and HKU5 viruses in particular – really hadn't been looked at much, but our study shows how these viruses infect cells. "What we also found is HKU5 viruses may be only a small step away from being able to spill over into humans." Most read in Health Like other coronaviruses, merbecoviruses rely on a spike protein to bind to receptors and invade host cells. Dr Letko's team used virus-like particles containing the part of the spike protein responsible for binding to receptors and tested their ability to infect cells in their lab. World is not prepared for looming Disease X pandemic says Doctor Tedros Ghebreyesus While most merbecoviruses appeared unlikely to be able to infect humans, HKU5 viruses — which have been found across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East — were shown to use a host receptor known as ACE2, the same used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. But for now HKU5 viruses can only use the ACE2 gene in bats and can't deploy it on humans nearly as well. Examining HKU5 viruses found in Asia - where their host is the Japanese house bat - the researchers demonstrated some mutations in the spike protein that may allow the viruses to bind to ACE2 receptors in other species, including humans. 'These viruses are so closely related to MERS, so we have to be concerned if they ever infect humans,' Dr Letko said. 'While there's no evidence they've crossed into people yet, the potential is there — and that makes them worth watching.' Dr Letko said the study and its methods could be used for future research projects and to help the development of new vaccines and treatments. What is the new Covid variant confirmed in the UK? The new strain - called NB.1.8.1 - has been spotted in the parts of the UK, such as Ireland and Wales. It's also cropped up in Europe, the US and Australia, as well as Egypt, the Maldives, Thailand, China and Hong Kong. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently issued a warning over NB.1.8.1, designating it as a "variant under monitoring" due to its global spread and key mutations. 'Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalisations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data do not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,' the WHO said. But while it may not be particularly severe, it may infect people more easily than previous variants, with some evidence suggesting that the variant binds more tightly to human cells. The WHO stressed that, based on available evidence, the variant's risk to public health was "low at the global level". "Currently approved Covid-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective to this variant against symptomatic and severe disease," it added. Symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and a blocked nose. Some people may also get gastrointestinal symptoms. It's not the first time concerns have been raised over HKU5. Earlier this year, Chinese scientists warned that This suggests a higher potential for zoonotic spillover - when a disease spreads from animal to human. If there is no 'intermediate middle animal', it becomes harder to predict and prevent spillover events through interactions such as wildlife trading or hunting. "There is the potential for this new virus to spillover to humans, like previous coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2," said Dr Gary R McLean, a research fellow at the Imperial College London, who was not involved in the study. But he noted that, so far, there is no "evidence" that HKU5-CoV-2 can infect people – the paper is based on tests in a laboratory, showing the bug's "potential". "Hopefully the Chinese authorities now have good surveillance systems in place and the laboratories work to rigid safety standards that minimise the risk of spillover occurring," he said. The WHO has previously listed MERS and Covid as two of several diseases - alongside the mysterious disease X - that could spark a pandemic, but for which there is no specific treatment or vaccine.
India Today
2 days ago
- Health
- India Today
Rafale fuselages to be made in India in boost to indigenous defence manufacturing
27:15 This episode of Health360 delves into India's rising COVID-19 cases, fuelled by new Omicron sub-variants like JN.1. Dr. Randeep Guleria, ex-AIIMS director, explains its symptoms and cautions for vulnerable groups. Dr. Arjun Dang discusses rising test demands and variant spread. The show also explores 'Disease X' and its potential impact on future pandemics.
New York Post
11-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Why the WHO could control the world during an outbreak of ‘Disease X'
This past Monday, President Trump signed an executive order banning 'dangerous gain-of-function biological research in the United States and around the world.' With this directive, Trump added muscle to his previous decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). As important as these steps are, the US still remains highly vulnerable to international control if and when a widely rumored 'Disease X' outbreak were to occur. 5 As part of his new vision for US foreign policy, Pres. Trump withdrew the US from the World Health Organization. Ron Sachs/CNP / Let's review the history. On Jan. 30, 2020, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO, announced a 'public health emergency of international concern' in response to the advancing COVID-19 crisis. With these six magic words, Tedros put into force the WHO's International Health Regulations (IHR), which the United States was obligated to then follow. Upon Tedros' invocation of this IHR 'treaty,' the WHO effectively seized power over all sovereigns, signatories and member nations, including us. Advertisement In America, federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health instantly assumed outsized power, with Dr. Anthony Fauci taking center stage. On March 13, 2020, President Trump issued a 'national public health emergency' — and in doing so, delegated executive control to some of the very people (like Fauci) involved in creating the world's previous coronavirus crises. 5 Despite this notable action, the WHO could still influence the US medical establishment during periods of global health emergencies. REUTERS Tedros Ghebreyesus was born in Ethiopia and is not a medical doctor. Instead, he is a Marxist and member of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, a group the Ethiopian government has classified as a terrorist organization. While Tedros was the health minister for Ethiopia, there were three significant cholera outbreaks (2006, 2009 and 2011). Advertisement Allegations continue today that Tedros covered up these outbreaks to avoid international embarrassment. Unsurprisingly, Tedros' response to the COVID-19 crisis was equally reckless, running cover for the Chinese Communist Party and denying resolutely that the virus leaked from their government-run research laboratory in Wuhan. 5 WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is not a medical doctor, and yet he still leads the most important health organization in the world. AFP via Getty Images Although Trump has withdrawn the US from the WHO, America will only be truly decoupled from the organization when Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. — as director of Health and Human Services — fully severs the relationship between the CDC and the WHO. Until then, the public health of all Americans could still be determined by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. This means that if Ghebreyesus were to merely suspect the arrival of a communicable disease, he could require every WHO member nation to submit their jurisdictional powers, their sovereignty and decision-making abilities to him. America may no longer be formally part of the WHO, but it would still be impacted by the tremendous influence it holds over the global health and medical community. And this could play out most worryingly, if and when the world is confronted with a 'Disease X.' Advertisement 5 Ghebreyesus was once a member of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which many have considered a terror organization. AFP via Getty Images 'Disease X' is the genetic term used by the WHO to reference an anticipated but unspecified future pandemic. But that future could very likely be now. Our research indicates that 'Disease X' has already been weaponized and released in the form of a gain-of-function enhanced version of COVID-19 that is more contagious and lethal than its predecessor. Even more frightening, our research also indicates that a new, more lethal vaccine has already been prepared as the supposed antidote to 'Disease X.' We suspect both have originated in China. The new vaccine includes a 'replicon,' so named because of its ability to reproduce the active ingredient of the virus spike protein throughout the patient's body. This has the potential to make it highly contagious — and especially dangerous. In 2024, scientists in Japan developed and began using an experimental 'replicon concoction' named 'Kostaive.' The official website of the European Medicines Agency of the European Union describes Kostaive as 'a vaccine for preventing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people aged 18 years and over.' Sound familiar? Advertisement Unless RFK Jr. reins in the CDC — and fully decouples it from the WHO — the implications of a 'Disease X' outbreak remain dire. The paramount question is: will the US military in a future 'global health emergency of international concern' bow to the WHO for guidance — as it did in 2020 — or stay under the command and control of the commander in chief? After all, the president is (supposedly) the only government official with constitutional authority to order the United States to avoid medical martial law — no matter how deadly a potential 'Disease X' might turn out to be. Adapted from 'Disease X and Medical Martial Law' by Todd s. Callender J.D., Jerome R. Corsi Ph.D. and Craig D. Campbell Ph.D, Copyright – Post Hill Press, 2025.
Forbes
23-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Ending Malaria Makes Everyone Healthier, Safer And More Prosperous
A few months ago, alarm bells rang across global health networks as a mysterious disease emerged in a remote corner of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The outbreak seemed to defy easy explanation—it was circulating in the remote parts of the country and primarily struck children under the age of 5 with surprising severity. It hit its patients with a cocktail of symptoms, including fever, headache, cough and sometimes difficulty breathing. The disease was also spreading swiftly, infecting hundreds and claiming dozens of lives within a few weeks. Amidst the growing panic, global health officials hastily labeled it 'Disease X'—a catch-all term for an unknown pathogen that could unleash similar consequences to those wrought by COVID-19. When a coalition of health partners, led by the government of DRC, rushed to the location, collected samples and investigated the outbreak, they discovered that Disease X was not some new pathogen. It was, in fact, a strain of severe malaria presenting itself as a respiratory illness. Complicated by malnutrition, which had weakened people's immunity, an age-old disease had become more lethal. This story serves as a stark reminder of two urgent realities. First, malaria remains a deadly disease, claiming the life of a child nearly every minute. Ending it would save the lives of millions of children and pregnant women. Second, tackling malaria is not just about saving lives today—it's also about strengthening global health security and making the world safer for everyone. The disease remains a potent threat to all of us, wherever we live. It's a killer we should see not just through the usual humanitarian lens, but also through the lenses of health security and economic opportunity. As we saw in DRC, even diseases we thought we understood can present new challenges. Malaria is a disease we know how to prevent and treat, and one that should not be allowed to continue unabated. To secure ourselves from future pandemics, we must urgently end the diseases killing people today, building a future where a Disease X emerging from complications of an existing infectious disease does not happen. The health system infrastructure and capabilities put in place to defeat malaria, such as medical supply chains, laboratories, community health workers and disease surveillance are what is needed to identify and respond to new outbreaks. Take disease surveillance—in a typical rural clinic in malaria-endemic areas, most people presenting with fever are suffering from malaria. There are more than 250 million cases every year, of which 94% are in Africa. Accurately diagnosing malaria is one way to rule out or identify other disease outbreaks, so the better we are at diagnosing malaria, the better our overall disease surveillance and health security will be. More generally, in the most afflicted areas, malaria often overwhelms health systems, with a significant portion—and in some cases, the majority—of health facility activities devoted to this one disease. In such contexts, it is extremely difficult to tackle other pressing health needs, let alone identify and respond to new threats. At the height of the pandemic, COVID-19 squeezed out other health priorities, leaving a legacy of problems that still affect many health systems, even in the richest countries. In the highest burden countries, malaria has this impact all the time. Investing in the fight against malaria is a powerful way to free up the capacity of health systems, meet other urgent health care needs and tackle dangers arising from new pathogens. Additionally, investing in malaria control not only saves lives—it also boosts productivity and creates economic opportunities. There is compelling evidence that reducing the malaria burden in malaria-endemic countries could unlock substantial economic growth. One recent study estimated that getting back on the path to ending malaria between 2023 and 2030 could boost the GDP of malaria-endemic countries by US$142.7 billion. Moreover, the benefits would extend further, increasing global trade by US$80.7 billion during the same period, including US$3.9 billion in additional exports for G7 countries. Ending malaria is not just the right thing to do, it's also the smart thing to do. If saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of young children and pregnant women through investments in malaria isn't persuasive enough to global donors, they should recognize that ending malaria is crucial to ensuring their own safety and prosperity. Now is the time to ramp up efforts to end malaria. Progress against malaria has stalled in recent years due to a combination of factors, including violent conflict, extreme weather events, stagnant funding and the emergence of drug and insecticide resistance. Any decline in political commitment or funding risks sharp reversals. But if we can scale new innovations, improve efficiencies, and—perhaps most critically—sustain the pace of investment, we can still defeat this disease once and for all. This is not the time to take our foot off the accelerator. Doing so would risk losing the gains we have fought so hard to achieve. Instead, we must reaffirm our commitment to beat malaria. Investing in the fight against malaria is one of the most cost effective and powerful ways to save lives, improve the health of some of the poorest communities in the world, and deliver a safer and more prosperous future for us all.
Korea Herald
19-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Govt. to push for development of cloud computing technologies to strengthen data infrastructure
The government will push for the development of cloud computing technologies to bolster the data infrastructure of the country as part of efforts to foster new growth engines, the finance ministry said. The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced the plan as part of the new growth engine project, aimed at fostering new growth engines for the economy. The government aims to create a cloud data center that uses homegrown artificial intelligence chips and establish a national AI computing center. The ministry said it will also expand investment in bio and medical research and development projects to improve the country's response capabilities to infectious diseases. In detail, it will support 14 vaccine development projects and 34 diagnosis and medical treatment development projects this year. The projects will include developing virus treatments to respond to the so-called Disease X, which refers to pathogens that can lead to another pandemic, and gene treatment technologies. The government will also devise an innovation strategy for the biohealth cluster and push for the installation of a quantum strategy committee as part of efforts to promote the growth of new industries, the ministry said. (Yonhap)
