Potential features of the next viral pandemic: the role of respiratory transmission.

Abstract

Determining exactly what the next pandemic will be is complex, However, by studying some common characteristics of previous viral pandemics, we can predict the general characteristics of the next pandemic. Here, we will explore next pandemic features, reviewing the past pandemics that have afflicted humanity and the factors that might make one viral pathogen more likely than others to cause a future pandemic. There are many factors that accelerate the occurrence of pandemics, including climate change, intensive human interaction in our modern world, and the threat to natural environments of viral reservoirs. By studying a set of requirements, the most important of which is that the virus be transmitted through respiration and air, and that it be able to be transmitted between humans, as well as its ability to undergo genetic mutations, we have identified a specific set of viruses that could potentially turn into future pandemics.