Human viruses: An ever-increasing list.

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Viral diseases, like yellow fever, have long impacted human health.
• Emerging and re-emerging viral infections pose significant global health and socioeconomic challenges.
• Recent advances in metagenomics reveal novel human viruses with unknown health implications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the number of human viruses discovered.
• To determine which identified viruses are etiological agents of human diseases.
• To highlight viruses posing significant public health threats, referencing WHO Fact Sheets.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing data on human viruses.
• Analysis of metagenomic studies identifying novel human viruses.
• Cross-referencing findings with World Health Organization (WHO) public health threat lists.

Main Results:

• The review addresses the number of identified human viruses and their pathogenic roles.
• It distinguishes between endemic, emerging, and novel viruses.
• Key viruses with significant public health implications are identified.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the landscape of human viruses is crucial for public health preparedness.
• Many viral infections are preventable through appropriate public health measures.
• Continued surveillance and research are essential to manage viral threats.