Scientists have warned that Sub-Saharan Africa and
South East Asia are most at risk of bat viruses
infecting humans and causing new and deadly
diseases.
They also warned that as the globe warms, there
would be melting ice caps, rising sea levels and extreme
weather, which may cause new and old diseases to
spread in places once thought safe.
They said melting permafrost might release
‘zombie pathogens’ frozen in ice for centuries, while
warming temperatures could allow disease-spreading insects roam far.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO),
approximately 60 to 75 per cent of emerging infectious
diseases is so-called ‘zoonotic events’, where
animal diseases infect people. Bats, in particular, are
known carriers of many zoonotic viruses.
A panel of scientists and public health experts convened by WHO prioritised the top five to 10
emerging pathogens likely to cause severe
outbreaks in the near future, and for which little or no medical countermeasures exist.
According to the WHO, the initial list of disease
priorities needing urgent Research and Development
(R&) comprise: Crimean Congo haemorrhagic
fever, Ebola virus disease, Marburg, Lassa fever, Middle
East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), coronavirus
diseases, Nipah and Rift Valley fever.
Three others were designated ‘serious’, requiring
R& action by the WHO as soon as possible. These are:
Chikungunya, severe fever with thrombocytopaenia
syndrome, and Zika.
The WHO panel said other diseases with epidemic
potentials, such as Human Immuno-deficiency
Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS), Tuberculosis, Malaria, Avian influenza and Dengue, were not included in the list because there are
major disease control and research networks for these,
and an existing pipeline for improved interventions.
Scientists at the University College London (UCL),
the Zoological Society of London and Edinburgh
University mapped out the highest-risk areas, using a variety of factors including large numbers of bat viruses
found locally, increasing population pressure, and hunting of bats as bush meat.
The research, using data published between 1900
and 2013, found that West Africa, the epicentre of the
recent Ebola outbreak, is at highest risk for zoonotic bat
viruses. The wider Sub-Saharan African region and
South East Asia were also found to be hotspots.



Culled From: www.versatilereporters.com/2016/10/scientists-warn-of-new-disease-called.html?m=1

Bert why always africa

This is actually interesting... But the fact that we African will wait till the government does something is very appalling..

Did you know that 50% who saw this did not click to read .... not lets break those that clicked into 100% 50% who read did not care and those 40% that cared will just keep it in mind and keeping praying to God that disease does not catch them while the remaining 10% will get ready to improve their immune system