The modern world is ripe for global viruses thanks to the relative ease of travel, but we also have tools on our side, like vaccines and infectious disease experts who monitor viruses around the world. Sure, the viruses that are the scariest are the ones we don't know about, and the ones we are very familiar with are bad enough, like influenza and COVID. There are also some viruses that are currently localized, but could become a problem if they spread.
For example, have you heard of the Oropouche virus? It's indigenous to the Amazon area, but in the last twenty years has started to pop up elsewhere. It is spread by insects, and those insects are increasing their range. Travelers also carry the virus to other parts of the globe. Bird flu was bad enough in birds, but it has spread to cattle, and can be transmitted from cattle to humans. And virologists are monitoring HIV infections, which are poised to rise under disruptions in international aid. Oh yeah, and measles, too. Read about the global viruses that now worry experts at the Conversation.
(Image credit: NIAID)
