World Health Organization gets ready for ‘Disease X’

By Susan Scutti, CNN
Updated 12:27 PM EDT, Mon March 12, 2018
There were 216,000 global cases of leprosy, an ancient and disfiguring disease, in 2013.
There were 216,000 global cases of leprosy, an ancient and disfiguring disease, in 2013.
CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images
In the 19th century, scarlet fever was a common killer in Europe. In 2016, nearly 20,000 cases were reported in the United Kingdom -- the biggest increase in 50 years.<br /><br />Scarlet fever is just one disease that many have forgotten but that is by no means gone, despite our best efforts to eliminate it.
In the 19th century, scarlet fever was a common killer in Europe. In 2016, nearly 20,000 cases were reported in the United Kingdom -- the biggest increase in 50 years.

Scarlet fever is just one disease that many have forgotten but that is by no means gone, despite our best efforts to eliminate it.
Badobadop/Wikipedia
Though it's often thought of as a medieval disease, the World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 global cases of plague every year. The US averages seven new human cases a year, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/plague/maps/index.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">mostly in the Southwest</a>. Pictured, a patient with gangrene and necrosis, caused by plague.<br />
Though it's often thought of as a medieval disease, the World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 global cases of plague every year. The US averages seven new human cases a year, mostly in the Southwest. Pictured, a patient with gangrene and necrosis, caused by plague.
CDC / Dr. Jack Poland
This 19-year-old girl in Neijiang, China, is being carried in a basket because she has rickets. Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D, which we get from sunlight. Experts believe rickets is making a comeback in developed countries because of the use of sunscreen and less time spent outdoors.
This 19-year-old girl in Neijiang, China, is being carried in a basket because she has rickets. Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D, which we get from sunlight. Experts believe rickets is making a comeback in developed countries because of the use of sunscreen and less time spent outdoors.
China Photos/Getty Images
Gout was once known as the "disease of kings" because of its links to excessive food and alcohol consumption. These days, unhealthy lifestyles are behind an increase in gout in developed countries.
Gout was once known as the "disease of kings" because of its links to excessive food and alcohol consumption. These days, unhealthy lifestyles are behind an increase in gout in developed countries.
The deadly disease diphtheria affects the nose and throat. Vaccinations mean it is now rare in developed countries, but in 2011, nearly 5,000 cases were reported to the WHO, with many more probably unreported.<br />
The deadly disease diphtheria affects the nose and throat. Vaccinations mean it is now rare in developed countries, but in 2011, nearly 5,000 cases were reported to the WHO, with many more probably unreported.
NOAH SEELAM/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Although there is a pertussis vaccine, there were an <a href="http://www.who.int/immunization/topics/pertussis/en/" target="_blank" target="_blank">estimated 16 million global cases</a> of whooping cough in 2008, killing about 195,000 children.
Although there is a pertussis vaccine, there were an estimated 16 million global cases of whooping cough in 2008, killing about 195,000 children.
James Gathany/CDC
In April 2015, the Americas became the first region to eliminate rubella; the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/about/in-the-us.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says</a> there are fewer than 10 cases each year.<strong> </strong>But globally, about <a href="https://measlesrubellainitiative.org/resources/advocacy-tools/2017-fact-sheet/" target="_blank" target="_blank">110,000 babies</a> are born with <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/08/health/rubella-house-zika-babies-future/index.html">congenital rubella syndrome</a> every year.
In April 2015, the Americas became the first region to eliminate rubella; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are fewer than 10 cases each year. But globally, about 110,000 babies are born with congenital rubella syndrome every year.
CDC.gov
TB, or tuberculosis, is one of the top 10 killers in the world, according to the WHO. In 2016, 10.4 million people around the globe contracted tuberculosis, and more than 1.7 million died. Ninety-five percent of those <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/24/health/tuberculosis-cambodia-tb-day-photos/index.html">deaths were in developing countries</a>.
TB, or tuberculosis, is one of the top 10 killers in the world, according to the WHO. In 2016, 10.4 million people around the globe contracted tuberculosis, and more than 1.7 million died. Ninety-five percent of those deaths were in developing countries.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images/File
Vaccination programs mean polio is on the verge of extinction -- but there are still cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Vaccination programs mean polio is on the verge of extinction -- but there are still cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Courtesy UNICEF
10 diseases you thought were gone

Story highlights

Ebola, SARS and Zika also made the WHO 2018 list

WHO's plan is intended to accelerate R&D during international health emergencies

CNN  — 

The World Health Organization included “Disease X” in its most recent global plan for accelerating research and development during health emergencies like the Ebola, SARS or Zika epidemics.

The strategy and preparedness plan, known as the 2018 R&D Blueprint, was published last month. So what, exactly, is Disease X?

This enigmatic name “represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease,” according to the WHO.

“As experience has taught us more often than not the thing that is gonna hit us is something that we did not anticipate,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Just the way we didn’t anticipate Zika, we didn’t think there would be an Ebola that would hit cities.”

“X” stands for unexpected, he said.

When confronted with the unknown, the WHO recognizes that it must “nimbly move” and that this involves creating platform technologies, explained Fauci.

Essentially, scientists develop customizable recipes for creating vaccines. Then, when an outbreak happens, they can sequence the unique genetics of the virus causing the disease and plug the correct sequence into the already-developed platform to create a new vaccine.

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY AMINU ABUBAKAR A vendor sells bags of rat poison in northern Nigeria's largest city of Kano on January 18, 2016. Sales of rat poison have taken off in Nigeria following an outbreak of Lassa fever that has left at least 76 people dead and sparked fears of contagion across the country. In the northern city of Kano, the capital of one of 17 states where the haemorrhagic virus has been recorded, there have been "unprecedented" purchases of the pest control product. / AFP / AMINU ABUBAKAR (Photo credit should read AMINU ABUBAKAR/AFP/Getty Images)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY AMINU ABUBAKAR A vendor sells bags of rat poison in northern Nigeria's largest city of Kano on January 18, 2016. Sales of rat poison have taken off in Nigeria following an outbreak of Lassa fever that has left at least 76 people dead and sparked fears of contagion across the country. In the northern city of Kano, the capital of one of 17 states where the haemorrhagic virus has been recorded, there have been "unprecedented" purchases of the pest control product. / AFP / AMINU ABUBAKAR (Photo credit should read AMINU ABUBAKAR/AFP/Getty Images)
AMINU ABUBAKAR/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

At least 78 dead in Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria

Fauci said that to develop these platforms scientists must first study entire classes of viruses, such as the flaviviruses, which include Japanese encephalitis, Yellow fever, Zika, and West Nile virus. “If you develop an understanding of the commonalities of those, you can respond more rapidly,” he said.

Along with disease X, the WHO named seven other potential global disease threats, each lacking an effective drug or vaccine.

They are: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF); Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease; Lassa fever; Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS); Nipah and henipaviral diseases Rift Valley fever (RVF); and Zika.

People walk in Mengo Hospital, where an employee died from the Ebola-like Marburg virus, in the Uganda capital Kampala October 6, 2014. The 30-year old radiographer died in Uganda's capital after an outbreak of Marburg, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, authorities said on Sunday, adding that a total of 80 people who came into contact with him were quarantined. Marburg starts with a severe headache followed by haemorrhaging and leads to death in 80 percent or more of cases in about nine days. It is from the same family of viruses as Ebola, which has killed thousands in West Africa in recent months. The health ministry said in a statement that the man died on Sept. 28 while working at the hospital.
People walk in Mengo Hospital, where an employee died from the Ebola-like Marburg virus, in the Uganda capital Kampala October 6, 2014. The 30-year old radiographer died in Uganda's capital after an outbreak of Marburg, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, authorities said on Sunday, adding that a total of 80 people who came into contact with him were quarantined. Marburg starts with a severe headache followed by haemorrhaging and leads to death in 80 percent or more of cases in about nine days. It is from the same family of viruses as Ebola, which has killed thousands in West Africa in recent months. The health ministry said in a statement that the man died on Sept. 28 while working at the hospital.
JAMES AKENA/Newscom/Reuters

Deadly Marburg virus outbreak declared in Uganda

The R&D Blueprint was born as a result of the Ebola emergency in West Africa which began in March 2014, explained Marie-Paule Kieny, former assistant director-general of Health Systems and Innovation at WHO, in a statement.

Kieny, who led the WHO research and development effort during the Ebola outbreak, said this international emergency taught scientists that research and development needs to be an “integral part” of the response to epidemics.

The 2014-2016 outbreak, the largest since the virus was first discovered in 1976, included a total of 28,616 confirmed, probable and suspected cases and 11,310 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to WHO.

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    WHO’s work alongside governments, scientists and private entities “resulted in the first ever fully effective vaccine against Ebola, developed and tested in 12 months as opposed to the 5-10 years such a process would normally take,” said Kieny, who welcomed the opportunity to use her Ebola experience to prepare for future health emergencies.