Disease X
Disease X
Disease X (/diːˈziːz ɛks/) is a hypothetical pathogen that could potentially cause a future global pandemic. The term was coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) to represent the concept of an unknown disease that could present significant risk to global health.
Etymology
The term "Disease X" was first used by the World Health Organization in 2018. The "X" in the name signifies the unknown, representing a disease that is not yet known or understood.
Definition
Disease X is not a specific disease but a placeholder name for a pathogen that could potentially cause a future epidemic or pandemic. It represents the concept that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease.
Related Terms
- Pandemic: A pandemic is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents, or worldwide.
- Pathogen: A pathogen or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host.
- Epidemic: An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Disease X
- Wikipedia's article - Disease X
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