An expert has come out to reveal the three serious diseases that could cause chaos for the human race this year.
Like we needed something to ruin 2026 just as we enter it. Is anyone surprised?
Long has this year been pegged as the year of natural disasters, war, and upset, as even Baba Vanga had noted just how awful this year would be (decades after she died).
But while we usually tend to think about disastrous periods as containing famine, earthquakes and maybe a UFO or two, what is actually in store for us all are a few viruses that can seriously pose a threat to humans.
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Writing for The Conversation, Patrick Jackson, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Virginia, said there are three things ‘poised’ to cause infections in ‘unexpected places or in unexpected numbers’.
He explained: “A new year might mean new viral threats. Old viruses are constantly evolving.
"A warming and increasingly populated planet put humans in contact with more and different viruses. And increased mobility means that viruses can rapidly travel across the globe along with their human hosts.”
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That’s pretty freaky, and it seems like a morbid prediction that has all the hallmarks of coming true, or at least being turned into a disaster movie.
He went on to reveal that ‘as an infectious diseases physician and researcher’, he’ll be 'keeping an eye on a few viruses in 2026 that could be poised to cause infections in unexpected places or in unexpected numbers’.
So, what are they?
Influenza A
According to the Royal Papworth Hospital, influenza or ‘flu’, is a ‘viral infection that mainly affects the nose, throat and lungs’.
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A health guide on the illness explains that there are two main types of influenza that cause infection: influenza A and influenza B.
Influenza A is ‘usually a more severe infection than influenza B’ says the hospital. Essentially, influenza tends to start suddenly with a high fever over 38.0°C, which can last for three to four days. Then, a ‘dry cough, headaches and chills are common as are general muscle aches and pains’. People might also get a stuffy nose, sneezing, and a sore throat, nausea, or diarrhoea. However, ‘tiredness can last two to three weeks.’
Jackson warned that we are ‘on the cusp of a pandemic’ caused by influenza A.
He said: “Influenza A is a perennial threat. The virus infects a wide range of animals and has the ability to mutate rapidly.”
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As for the highly-pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 subtype, aka bird flu, which also comes from influenza A, is also a concern of his.
He explained, per The Mirror: “This virus was first found in humans in southern China in 1997; wild birds helped spread the virus around the world. In 2024, the virus was found for the first time in dairy cattle in the U.S. and subsequently became established in herds in several states.
“The crossover of the virus from birds to mammals created major concern that it could become adapted to humans. Studies suggest there have already been many cow-to-human transmissions.
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“In 2026, scientists will continue to look for any evidence that H5N1 has changed enough to be transmitted from human to human – a necessary step for the start of a new influenza pandemic. The influenza vaccines currently on the market probably don’t offer protection from H5N1, but scientists are working to create vaccines that would be effective against the virus.”
Mpox
Jackson also said mpox is a disease that is ‘worldwide and liable to worsen’. Mpox used to be known as monkeypox, a virus that typically impacts rodents and is sometimes transmitted to people too.
The expert revealed there’s the fear that there are a lot of strains of mpox, and without effective treatment available- despite there being a vaccine- it can cause weeks of issues for those who catch it.
“Mpox is closely related to smallpox, and infection results in a fever and painful rash that can last for weeks,” he said. “There are several varieties of mpox, including a generally more severe clade I and a milder clade II.”
In 2022, there was an outbreak of the disease, impacting 100 countries, per the World Health Organization.
He added: “While the number of mpox cases has significantly declined since the 2022 outbreak, clade II mpox has become established around the world.
“Several countries in central Africa have also reported an increase in clade I mpox cases since 2024. Since August 2025, four clade I mpox cases have occurred in the US, including in people who did not travel to Africa.”
Oropouche virus
You might not have heard of this virus before, but according to Jackson, this one is ‘poised to spread’. Caused by insects, namely mosquitoes and small biting midges, this illness is not something to mess around with.
Jackson said: “Most people with the virus experience fever, headache and muscle aches. The illness usually lasts just a few days, but some patients have weakness that can persist for weeks. The illness can also recur after someone has initially recovered.”
The disease was originally discovered in Trinidad and Tobago but has spread across South America, Central America, and the Caribbean since its discovery.
He said: “Cases in the United States are usually among travellers returning from abroad. In 2026, Oropouche outbreaks will likely continue to affect travellers in the Americas.
“The biting midge that carries Oropouche virus is found throughout North and South America, including the southeastern United States. The range of the virus could continue to expand.”
So, it looks like we’re on track for a sick year, and not in a good way.
Topics: Health, NHS, World News
Britt Jones