The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a specific tool to determine which diseases and pathogens should be prioritized in research and development in public health emergencies. In addition to the Ebola virus, Lassa fever and Zika virus, X disease is also there. What is it and what do we know about it?
Disease X, or “known unknown”
Disease X has not yet been identified, but according to WHO specialists, it can appear at any time. It can be caused, for example, by a biological mutation, existing viruses, viruses produced in a laboratory or a completely new pathogen. Experts also do not rule out that the pandemic may be a consequence of the use of biological or chemical weapons. Disease X is so far a body of knowledge that a serious pandemic may be caused by a currently unknown pathogen.
See: The biggest epidemics in the history of mankind
WHO experts recognize that infectious diseases and epidemics that arise are inherently unpredictable. An example is the Spanish flu pandemic, which killed between 50 and 100 million people in two years.
Disease X is on the WHO list not to frighten, but to mobilize the global medical community to take action to protect us from the threat when it becomes real.
Recently, experts from WHO assessed whether individual countries of the world are capable of preventing, detecting and responding to health emergencies. They also assessed the effectiveness of the country’s healthcare system and its commitment to global standards. Unfortunately, most countries performed poorly or at most average in this study.
Learn more about disease X and whether we’re ready for it in this infographic:
- In Poland as in Asia. No country in Europe has so many infected with the superbug
- In Poland, it is better to cut off than to heal. “Amputation is like the cheapest treatment that brings – in quotation marks – profit to the hospital”
- Toxic relationships hover over Poland. Check what you are really breathing
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Source: https://www.who.int/activities/prioritizing-diseases-for-research-and-development-in-emergency-context