Table.
Attributes of emerging and re-emerging infections threatening global public health
| Attributes | COVID-19 | MERS | Influenza A (H1N1) 09 | SARS | Ebola virus disease | Human Nipah virus disease |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Pandemic34 | Epidemic8,9,10,11 | Pandemic31,32,33 | Epidemic4,5,6,7 | Large and recurrent outbreaks12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | Outbreaks21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Yr of occurrence | 201934 | 20128,9,10,11 | 200931,32,33 | 20024,5,6,7 | 1976;1977; 1994; 1995; 1996; 2001; 2003; 2008; 2012; 2014; 2017; 201812,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 1998; 2001 (since then recurrent in Bangladesh); 2006 and 2018 (in India)21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Originated at | Wuhan, China34 | Saudi Arabia8 | Mexico31,32,33 | South China4,5,6,7 | 2014-Started at Guinea; 2017- DRC; 2018-Equator Province, DRC12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 1998-Malaysia, Singapore; 2001-since then recurrent outbreak in Bangladesh; 2006-Siliguri, India; 2018-Kerala, India21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Spread at | Global34 | Originated at Saudi Arabia; spread to Europe, Africa, Asia, North America8,9,10,11 | More than 200 countries31,32,33 | Originated at South China and then spread to Asia, Canada4,5,6,7 | 2014-Started at Guinea; 2017- DRC; 2018-Equator Province, DRC12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 1998-Malaysia, Singapore; 2001-since then recurrent outbreak in Bangladesh; 2006-Siliguri, India; 2018-Kerala, India21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| CFR (%) | Varies between <1 and 13.56%35 | >35%8,9,10,11 | 0.4-6.7 per cent31,32,33 | ? 0%4,5,6,7 | Varies between 25 and 90 per cent12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 40-70 per cent21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Causative virus | SARS-CoV-234,35,36,37 | MERS-CoV8,9,10,11 | Influenza A/(H1N1) pdm0931,32,33 | SARS-CoV4,5,6,7 | Ebola virus11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 | Nipah virus21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Natural reservoir | Bats (potential host)34,35,36,37 | Bats (?) (Neoromicia sp. in Africa)8,9,10,11 | - | Chinese horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus sinicus and other Rhinolophus spp. in China)4,5,6,7 | Three species of Fruit bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus; Epomops franqueti; Myonycteris torquata)12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | Fruit bats also known as flying fox (order Chiroptera and genus Pteropus)21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Intermediate host | Pangolin (potential intermediate host)36 | Dromedary camels (Middle East and Africa)8,9,10,11 | - | Civets and raccoon dogs in southern China4 | Monkey, apes, pigs12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | Pigs21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30 |
| Main transmissibility | Animal to human, person to person34,35,36 | Animal to human, person to person8,9,10,11 | Human to human; human to animal (reverse zoonosis)31,32,33 | Person to person, animal to human4,5,6,7 | Animal to human, person to person12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | Animal to human, person to person21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Modes of transmission | Droplet, contact34,35,36 | Droplet, contact8,9,10,11 | Droplet, aerosol32,33,34 | Droplet, contact, airborne4,5,6,7 | Contact with infected animals; consumption of blood, milk, or raw or undercooked meat of infected animal; Person to person through direct contact with the blood; secretions or bodily fluids of infected persons; contact with contaminated needles, equipment12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | Transmitted to humans from animals (such as bats or pigs), or contaminated foods and can also be transmitted directly from human to human21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Incubation period (days) | 4-14, up to 2834,35,36 | 2-158,9,10,11 | 1-732,33,34 | 2-14, up to 214,5,6,7 | 2-2112,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 5-1421,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Basic reproduction rate (R0) | 2.2834,35,36 | 0.3-1.38,9,10,11 | 1.4-1.632,33,34 | 0.3-4.14,5,6,7 | 1.5-1.912,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 0.4821,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
| Infection control measure | Standard contact and droplet precautions34,35,36 | Standard contact and droplet precautions; airborne precautions for aerosol-generating procedures8,9,10,11 | Standard contact and droplet precautions; airborne precautions for aerosol-generating procedures32,33,34 | Standard contact and droplet precautions; airborne precautions for aerosol-generating procedures4,5,6,7 | Standard contact precautions12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | Standard contact precaution21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 |
SARS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus; MERS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus; CFR, case fatality rate