Khaberni - If you think the era of pandemics has been closed with the end of the COVID-19 crisis, infectious disease experts have a different view that puts the world in face of tough challenges in the near future.
In a recent report published by Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia, Patrick Jackson, he warned of 3 key viruses he said should be closely monitored during 2026.
Jackson believes that climate change, population density, and increased travel rates are factors that have turned the planet into a fertile environment for the transmission of viruses from their animal hosts to humans, and then their rapid spread across continents.
1. Influenza A: Concerning Evolution of Avian Strains
"Influenza A" tops the list of global concern, especially after the dramatic shift observed in 2024 with the transmission of the H5 strain to dairy cows in the United States. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have recorded 71 human cases and two deaths occurring at the beginning of 2025. The first case was a resident in Louisiana struck by the H5N1 strain and died in January 2025, while the second was in Washington state, the first known human infection with the associated H5N5 strain. Most infections were recorded among workers in the dairy and poultry sectors.
Although the virus transmission "from human to human" has not been officially registered in the United States so far, the widening range of infected animal species raises scientists' suspicions. Epidemiologist Derek Cummings at Johns Hopkins University warns that the virus's ability to breach new species is "a hallmark of a dangerous pathogen that might emerge in the future". Concerns are growing with declining health surveillance budgets, raising questions about the accuracy of the announced figures and the authorities' ability to track silent infections.
2. Mpox (Mpox): New Strains Transcend Boundaries
The Mpox virus (formerly known as monkeypox) is no longer a risk confined to the African continent. Following the global outbreak of the IIb strain in 2022, the world now faces the challenge of the more severe Ib strain, which originated from the Congo and reached California and Britain by the end of 2025.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recorded 10 cases of strain I in the United States since 2024, including 3 cases of Ib in California. In Britain, 19 cases of Ib were recorded until the end of November 2025.
The virus is characterized by causing painful skin rashes and severe fever, and although effective vaccines are available, the absence of a specific treatment and continuing cases of local transmission outside Africa indicate that the virus has not yet found its path to eradication, but rather is reshaping its spread map in a way that demands constant vigilance.
3. Oropouche Virus: "Laziness Fever" Leaves the Amazon
The least known and most enigmatic virus on the list is "Oropouche". This virus, confined to the Amazon forests for decades, began creeping towards Central America and Europe, transmitted by small biting insects.
The danger of "Oropouche" lies in the absence of vaccines or specific treatments so far, in addition to observed cases of transmission from mother to fetus causing congenital deformities (microcephaly). Due to this escalating threat, the World Health Organization in January 2026 set an urgent roadmap for scientific research to address this disease before it turns into a regional or international health crisis.
Other Concerning Diseases
The list also includes Chikungunya (445,000 infections and 155 deaths until September 2025), in addition to Nipah, which is currently not believed to be capable of causing a pandemic.
All these viruses are listed among the priority pathogens by the World Health Organization.
In contrast, preventable diseases like measles are reemerging due to declining vaccination, with alarming increases in measles cases in the Americas, alongside health warnings and emergency measures in key countries including Mexico and the United States, coinciding with preparations to host the World Cup 2026 and increased travel and public gatherings.
