UKHSA Releases First-Ever Priority Pathogens List to Bolster Pandemic Preparedness

The list identifies 24 pathogen families with high health risks, focusing on gaps in diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments, while accounting for climate change and global threats.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its inaugural priority pathogens list, highlighting 24 viral, bacterial, and fungal families with significant pandemic and epidemic potential.
Pathogens such as coronaviridae (COVID-19), orthomyxoviridae (avian influenza), and paramyxoviridae (Nipah virus) are among those classified as high-risk threats.
The initiative emphasizes pathogens with critical gaps in medical countermeasures, including Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) and norovirus, which lack adequate vaccines and treatments.
Climate-sensitive diseases like dengue and Zika virus are included due to their potential spread to new regions, including southern England, as temperatures rise.
The list is part of the UK’s Biological Security Strategy and will be updated regularly to address evolving threats and guide research funding and global collaboration.