The Covid-19 pandemic took much of the world by surprise. But not everyone. For years, epidemiologists and other experts have warned that we have been setting ourselves up for a global pandemic.

Most of the diseases experts worry about originate in animals. In fact, 75% of newly emerging diseases are zoonotic. Covid-19 – thought to have originated in pangolins sold at wet markets in China – was no different. But like Covid-19, zoonotic diseases are becoming riskier to humans because of our own actions. Our effect on the climate, encroachment on wildlife habitats and global travel have helped circulate animal-borne diseases. Combined with urbanisation, overpopulation and global trade, we’ve set up an ideal scenario for more pandemics to come.

In this multimedia series, we explore six of the diseases most likely to cause the next one, and examine the work being done to try to stop them. From Mers-carrying camels in Africa to the pigs with influenza in Europe, meet the animals and the diseases with the biggest pandemic potential and learn what we can do to stop them, before it’s too late.

Bats in Asia

Nipah virus is one of the World Health Organization’s top 10 priority diseases they believe could cause a pandemic. There’s no vaccination, it’s highly deadly, and there have already been a number of outbreaks in Asia. We meet the scientists studying the disease who believe overdevelopment and encroachment on bat habitat is making another spill-over more likely.

Mosquitoes in North America