Title: The ‘Big One’: Scientists Warn of Looming Threat from Paramyxoviruses
Subtitle: The highly contagious and deadly nature of paramyxoviruses raises concerns about the next potential pandemic
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By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com
The paramyxovirus family, which includes well-known viruses like mumps and measles, has recently become a focus of concern among scientists. These viruses, known for their ability to transmit between species, raise fears about the possibility of a future pandemic.
Scientists note that unlike the flu and COVID-19, which mutate rapidly, paramyxoviruses do not seem to mutate as they spread. However, they have developed an alarming efficiency in human-to-human transmission. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has included paramyxoviruses on its list of pandemic pathogens to watch.
Among the paramyxoviruses, the Nipah virus stands out due to its high fatality rate of up to 75 percent, as compared to COVID-19’s fatality rate of under one percent. This virus has the ability to infect cells that line the central nervous system and vital organs.
Michael Norris, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, warns that the emergence of a paramyxovirus as contagious as measles and as deadly as Nipah could have catastrophic consequences. He compares this scenario to the 2011 film Contagion, where a lethal paramyxovirus triggers a global pandemic.
Despite being known for over a century, scientists still struggle to understand how paramyxoviruses jump between species and mutate to infect humans. For example, bats were discovered to carry mumps, which was previously believed to only infect humans and select primates. There is also a mystery surrounding how paramyxoviruses cause minor infections in some hosts but prove fatal to others.
The report ‘Strengthening Australia’s Pandemic Preparedness,’ published in 2022, highlights the growing concern over viruses moving from animals to humans at alarming rates. On average, two novel viruses appear in humans each year, with a rising proportion capable of causing larger outbreaks.
Given the potential for pandemics, significant efforts are being made to understand and combat paramyxoviruses. Virologists continue to study rubulaviruses, a subfamily of paramyxoviruses that includes mumps, as they pose a significant risk to human and animal populations.
While eradication of measles is a possibility, reminiscent of the successful smallpox eradication, experts caution that other viruses, like mpox, may fill the void left by a eliminated virus. This highlights the importance of ongoing vaccinations and preparedness measures.
As the world grapples with COVID-19, scientists and health organizations are sounding the alarm about the potential of a future pandemic caused by paramyxoviruses. The urgency lies in the need for further research, treatments, and vaccines to effectively combat these highly contagious and deadly pathogens.
Sources:
– Daily Mail
– The Atlantic