UK well being officers title 4 pandemic-potential viruses as Disease X warning issued

On Mar 25, 2025

UKHSA has revealed the most dangerous pathogens for Britain as one scientist warns a measles-like virus would ‘pose a threat far worse than Covid’ and be ‘impossible to control’

09:58, 25 Mar 2025Updated 10:02, 25 Mar 2025

Clinical staff wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while caring for a patient in the Intensive Care unit (ICU)

Four viruses have been listed by UK scientists as having the potential to spark another pandemic(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Health chiefs have outlined four emerging viruses that could cause the next pandemic, amid fears one is so deadly that even strict lockdowns would not contain it.

The UK Health Security Agency has revealed the virus families that could become “Disease X”, and four carry a very high pandemic risk.

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They are:

The Paramyxoviridae family which includes measles and the Nipah virus which can cause swelling of the brain and death
The Picornaviridae family which causes enteroviruses that trigger polio-like diseases. One called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) triggers muscle weakness and paralysis
The Coronaviridae family which includes coronaviruses such as Covid-19 and MERS, which is common in the Middle East
The Orthomyxoviridae family which causes forms of influenza including bird flu.

Four virus families are feared to be the most likely contenders for the cause of the next pandemic(Image: Getty Images)

Five years after Covid killed 2000,000 in the UK alone, large measles outbreaks are already being reported globally as vaccination rates drop, the Mirror reports.

The disease has been shown to wipe immune system memories so many other infections may follow, experts fear.

Edinburgh University professor of infectious diseases Mark Woolhouse, who was not involved in the UKHSA report, said: “A novel measles-like virus would pose a threat far worse than Covid.

A member of staff at University Hospital Monklands attends to a Covid-positive patient on the ICU ward

More than 200,000 were killed by Covid in the UK (Image: Getty Images)

“It would have a much higher R number than original variants of Covid, making it impossible to control by even the strictest lockdown. It would also be considerably more deadly and, unlike Covid, it would be a threat to children. This is the kind of pandemic health agencies are most concerned about.”

The UKHSA has given a risk rating of high, moderate, or low pandemic potential for 24 virus groupings based on their infection ability and how vulnerable Britain is to them.

Some are largely unknown so do not have available tests, vaccines or treatments. The UKHSA aims to direct national funders of research and development towards these to help create diagnostics, jabs and therapeutics.

Clinical staff wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as they care for a patient at the Intensive Care unit

Scientists fear one a measles-like virus would ‘pose a threat far worse than Covid(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Prof Woolhouse added: “There are many potential kinds of novel pandemic threats, so-called Disease X, and the UKHSA report is a timely reminder that we should not put all our eggs in one basket. Our response needs to be scalable, adaptable and quick.”

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UKHSA chief scientific officer Dr Isabel Oliver said: “Infectious diseases don’t respect borders so all of this has an international dimension. There are a wide range of pathogens that could cause the next pandemic.

“We hope this tool will help to speed up vaccine and diagnostics development, to ensure we are fully prepared in our fight against deadly pathogens.”

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