WHO warns of a new epidemic, and identify its sources

International

1-04-2022, 17:00

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Baghdad-INA

World Health Organization warned today, Friday, that insect-borne diseases pose an increasing risk and could lead to the next pandemic.

WHO said that arboviruses such as Zika, yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue are a group of pathogens that are spread by insects, such as mosquitoes, indicating that these viruses can become a pandemic, especially since nearly four billion people live in tropical and subtropical regions where These viruses spread.

"We've been through two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we've learned the hard way what it costs to not be adequately prepared for high-impact events," said Dr. Sylvie Briand, Director of the Global Infectious Hazards Preparedness Team at the World Health Organization, noting that "we had a signal with SARS in 2003, and the experience of the influenza pandemic 2009, But there are still gaps in our preparedness.".

"It is very likely that the next pandemic will be caused by the new arbovirus. We also have some indications that the risk is increasing," she warned.