Epidemic to Pandemic: Just a Matter of Time

Abstract

Epidemic and pandemic potential of all respiratory diseases of zoonotic origin is well known. In recent history global public health threat was inflicted by zoonotic origin infectious diseases with pandemic potential including, Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), influenza A (H5N1), Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus (MERSCoV), 1 and the recently discovered COVID-19. Change of epidemic to a pandemic is just a matter of time. A novel Corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) is appearing to be one of the rapidly transmitting diseases because of the social and economic linkages worldwide. Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are not new but their incidence or geographical involvement is rapidly increasing. Global temporal and spatial patterns of these emerging infections are studied well in literature concluding significant correlation of EIDs with socio-economic, environmental and ecological factors. It helps to identify regions as ‘hotspots’ for EIDs with a substantial risk of vector-borne and wildlife zoonotic emerging diseases.