According to a study conducted by an international group of scientists from China and the United Kingdom, by the end of 2024, there will be 239 dangerous viruses included in the World Health Organization's (WHO) list worldwide.
Medianews.az, citing AZERTAC, reports that the updated catalog includes viruses recognized by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Compared to the previous 2018 version, this number has increased by 25 viruses, including more than 20 new species identified in recent years.
The study shows that the vast majority of these viruses originate from animals. “Approximately 62 percent of them are transmitted to humans from animals. These viruses do not spread among people. At the same time, 60 viruses can cause epidemics or continuously circulate within human populations.
A separate group includes 32 viruses that can be transmitted among humans but have so far only caused limited epidemics. Therefore, scientists distinguish several levels of epidemic potential. These range from purely zoonotic viruses to those capable of causing large-scale epidemics.
Analyses have shown that a significant portion of the viruses are mainly transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks. This mechanism accounts for about 43 percent of known species. At the same time, many viruses can be transmitted via the air, direct contact, and various means including biological fluids.
The geography of discoveries covers almost the entire world. The highest number of new viruses was recorded first in America, with 99 species, followed by 81 species in Eurasia, 43 species in Africa and the Middle East, and 16 species in Oceania.
According to the study, the number of known RNA viruses has gradually increased since the early 20th century. By the end of that century, 178 species had been identified, and in the 21st century, 61 more species have been added to this list.