Next pandemic 'inevitable,' warns eminent Hong Kong virologist
What's the story
The next pandemic is "inevitable" and the world might not be better prepared for it, warns top Hong Kong virologist Malik Peiris. Peiris, an emeritus professor at the University of Hong Kong, is best known for discovering the coronavirus behind the 2003 SARS outbreak. He stressed building a more resilient world that integrates human, animal, and environmental health to prevent future pandemics.
Virus risk
Destructive impact of pandemics
Peiris is particularly concerned about the risk of respiratory viruses causing the next pandemic. He said, "We really have to pay much more attention to how we deal with future pandemics, because it is absolutely certain that another pandemic will emerge." The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that pandemics can be hugely destructive not only to health but also to economic and social well-being, he added.
Virus transmission
Animal viruses increasingly jumping to humans
Peiris noted that in recent decades, animal viruses have been jumping to humans more frequently. New viruses are emerging every three to four years, he said. These include SARS, swine flu, COVID-19, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Ebola, and Zika. Although most of these viruses haven't led to global pandemics yet, the 2003 SARS-CoV-1 outbreak came close, Peiris said.
Animal husbandry
Conducive environment for rapid virus spread
Intensive animal farming, along with the widespread movement of animals, has created conditions that facilitate the rapid spread of viruses among livestock. Peiris illustrated that chickens are highly "inbred to optimize production," explaining that those raised for food are now genetically nearly identical. "That means if a virus is able to get into them and starts to replicate, it would be ideally adapted to infect the whole world's population of broiler chickens," Peiris said.
Global travel
Critical role of speed of global travel
Peiris said, "You can get infected with a new disease anywhere and be on the other side of the world in 12 hours." He added, "You still may not have even got symptoms, but you will be carrying the virus and spreading it somewhere else." "We really need to be much better prepared for pandemics."