Global health experts fear 2026 pandemic as multiple viruses gain strength

The world could be approaching another global pandemic, according to a Daily Star report published on January 15, 2026. 

Experts warn that four viruses — monkeypox, rubella, avian influenza, and Oropouche fever — have the potential to give rise to an unknown “pathogen X” capable of triggering a major outbreak this year. They attribute this risk to a substantial decline in vaccination rates and the increasing adaptability of these viruses.

Michael Head, a global health researcher at the University of Southampton’s Faculty of Medicine, said that infection surges are currently being recorded worldwide.

“Monkeypox outbreaks continue in many countries across the world, including in Europe, for example, in Spain. New strains are emerging, and it is becoming increasingly clear that a virus that was once very rare has now spread across the globe,” Head noted.

He also expressed concern that rubella, once considered eliminated, may re-emerge. The use of the MMR vaccine — which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella — has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years, increasing the risk of renewed circulation.

Further risks stem from the behaviour of avian influenza. Ed Hutchinson, a professor of molecular and cellular virology at the University of Glasgow, explained that the H5N1 strain has become highly capable of mutation. It can already spread from birds to mammals, including cattle, which suggests it may also be transmissible through milk.

“As long as the H5N1 virus circulates and infects people, it will pose a pandemic danger. If this happens, we will have flu antivirals and the ability to create vaccines for new strains, but a new influenza pandemic would still be a major challenge,” Hutchinson said.

The Oropouche virus presents another layer of concern. Transmitted through the bite of an infected midge, it typically causes symptoms within eight days and resembles dengue fever and the Zika virus.

Professor Jackson, an infectious disease expert at the University of Virginia, noted that outbreaks are expected to continue affecting travellers in North and South America in 2026. The midge that spreads the virus is found across both continents, including in the southeastern United States, and its range may continue expanding.

The Daily Star article underscores that each of these viruses could, in theory, lead to the emergence of pathogen X — an entirely new strain with pandemic potential.