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The Terrifying New AI Map Exposing the True Roots of the Next Pandemic
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- Researchers at the University of Edinburgh created a comprehensive catalog of 239 RNA viruses known to infect humans, ranking them by transmission, impact, and pandemic potential to better anticipate future threats.
- The catalog emphasizes that transmission efficiency, rather than lethality, is the key factor determining whether a virus can cause a global pandemic; many deadly viruses like rabies lack sustained human-to-human spread.
- The highest-risk viruses are human-adapted with an R-number above one, including measles and SARS-CoV-2, indicating they can spread rapidly and widely, unlike many zoonotic viruses with limited transmission.
- AI-powered platforms such as SpillOver and CEPI's VISTA now score thousands of viruses in real time to assess spillover and pandemic risks, enabling preemptive vaccine and antiviral development.
- With zoonotic infections accounting for 61% of emerging diseases and pandemic risk at a historic high, these tools shift preparedness from reactive stockpiling to proactive prevention and early response.
