Scientists Issue Dire Warning About Two Animal Viruses With Pandemic Potential
Leading scientists have issued an urgent warning that two little-known animal viruses could easily spark the next global pandemic if they mutate to jump to humans. This alert comes as the United States battles a severe winter illness season, with influenza already sickening approximately 20 million people and causing over 11,000 deaths since October, according to official federal data.
The Hidden Long-Term Danger
While current seasonal illnesses dominate public attention, researchers emphasize that the greater long-term danger may lie elsewhere. In a comprehensive new review published in January in a CDC-backed paper, scientists highlighted that influenza D – a virus primarily infecting cattle – and canine coronavirus, a highly contagious pathogen found in dogs, possess significant potential to mutate and establish transmission among human populations.
Neither virus is currently known to circulate widely in people. However, both spread with ease among animal populations and remain poorly monitored by global health systems. This surveillance gap means that dangerous mutations enabling efficient human-to-human transmission could occur and spread undetected.
Dr John Lednicky, a research professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health at the University of Florida and co-author of the paper, stated: 'Our review of the literature indicates these two viruses pose respiratory disease threats to humans, yet little has been done to respond to or prevent infection.'
'If these viruses evolve the capacity to easily transmit person to person, they may be able to cause epidemics or pandemics since most people won't have immunity to them.'
Influenza D: A Rapidly Evolving Threat
Influenza D virus was first identified in US pigs in 2011 and has since been detected in numerous species including cattle, chickens, deer, giraffes and even kangaroos. Like other influenza viruses, it mutates readily. Researchers noted that IDV strains can 'reassort and recombine', indicating the virus is evolving rapidly. It shares closest relation to influenza C, which infects humans – particularly children – but is not routinely tracked by US health authorities.
This virus is believed to play a significant role in bovine respiratory disease, commonly known as shipping fever – the most costly infectious illness affecting North American cattle. The disease can cause pneumonia, heart inflammation and immune suppression, with mortality reaching up to two percent of affected herds.
Previous studies conducted by the same research team discovered antibodies to influenza D in up to 97 percent of cattle workers tested in Colorado and Florida, demonstrating widespread exposure among those working closely with infected animals.
Canine Coronavirus: A Silent Spreader
The second virus of concern, canine coronavirus, is unrelated to SARS-CoV-2 but exhibits high infectiousness among dogs, particularly in kennel environments. It typically causes gastrointestinal illness and is rarely tested for in human populations.
Dr Lednicky explained: 'So far, influenza D virus has not been associated with serious infections in humans. However, canine coronavirus has – but diagnostic tests are not routinely performed, so we don't know how widely it affects people.'
In 2021, his research team isolated a canine coronavirus strain from a US medical worker who fell ill after traveling to Haiti. That same year, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch identified a nearly identical strain in a child hospitalized with pneumonia in Malaysia. The virus has subsequently been detected in individuals with respiratory illness in Thailand, Vietnam and Arkansas – demonstrating its capacity for cross-continental circulation.
Echoing Broader Pandemic Concerns
This warning echoes growing international concerns about animal-borne viruses with pandemic potential, including Nipah virus, an incurable pathogen currently spreading in parts of India. The researchers emphasized that without stronger surveillance systems, improved diagnostic testing and accelerated vaccine development, both influenza D and canine coronavirus could quietly acquire the ability to spread efficiently between humans.
They concluded: 'Our knowledge of these viruses is limited. Even so, the available evidence suggests they pose a major threat to public health.' The scientific community urges immediate action to monitor these emerging threats before they potentially escalate into the next global health crisis.
