Health authorities in the UK have a new watch list of 24 infectious diseases that could pose the greatest future threat to public health. The list encompasses bird flu as well as mosquito-spread illnesses that may become common with rising temperatures from climate change. The list, which was curated by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), does not include COVID-19.

The aim behind releasing this list is to steer researchers and health experts to invest in making more new tests and vaccines ot medicines in preparation. "This rating does not indicate which pathogen UKHSA considers most likely to cause the next pandemic, but rather those pathogens requiring increased scientific investment and study," UKHSA said in a statement.

Diseases Are 'Highly Spreadable'

Measles, which is a part of the highly contagious virus family Paramyxoviridae, is on the list. According to Prof Woolhouse, a novel measles-like virus would be highly spreadable and "impossible to control by even the strictest lockdown", making it "a threat far worse than Covid." Another significantly dangerous enlisted disease is Norovirus, also known as winter vomiting bug, which is wreaking havoc in the UK. Q fever, which is a disease caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii, has also been marked as a potential health threat.

Here's The List Of 24 Diseases

1. Adenovirus
2. Lassa fever
3. Norovirus
4. Mers
5. Ebola (and similar viruses, such as Marburg)
6. Flaviviridae (which includes dengue, Zika and hepatitis C)
7. Hantavirus
8. Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
9. Flu (non-seasonal, including avian)
10. Nipah virus
11. Oropouche
12. Rift Valley fever
13. Acute flaccid myelitis
14. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV)
15. Mpox
16. Chikungunya
17. Anthrax
18. Q fever
19. Enterobacteriaceae (such as E. coli and Yersinia pestis, which causes plague)
20. Tularaemia
21. Moraxellaceae (which cause lung, urine and bloodstream infections)
22. Gonorrhoea
23. Staphlylococcus
24. Group A and B Strep

"Among the pathogen families where UKHSA is keen to see greater scientific strides made are the coronaviridae family, which includes Covid-19; the paramyxoviridae family, which includes Nipah virus; and the orthomyxoviridae family, which includes avian influenza. However, the reference tool is not a detailed threat assessment, and the list of families included in this tool is not exhaustive and the families are not ranked," the agency warned.

COVID On Decline

Besides this report, the UK health authorities also published 'The infectious diseases impacting England: 2025' report that marked a rise in both endemic disease and vaccine-preventable infections. "Infectious diseases were the primary reason for over 20% of hospital bed usage, at an annual cost of almost £6bn in 2023 to 2024. Developing scientific capability and effective interventions are having positive impacts, but more action is needed," it said.

This report also mentioned that COVID-19 transmission has declined, with the virus circulating at baseline levels of activity for much of the current winter season. Incremental vaccine effectiveness was around 45% against hospitalisation, with vaccine uptake in older age groups at 60% to 70%. Vaccination of priority groups, in particular the elderly, remained an important intervention to protect against severe disease.

Dr. Peter Marks, one of the top FDA's leaders in vaccine regulation, is stepping down from his position as director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). His departure has sparked a debate about the future of vaccine regulation and public health policy. Marks was instrumental in leading vaccine approvals, including during the pandemic brought on by COVID-19. As the FDA makes decisions along this transition, experts wait and monitor how it could potentially affect vaccine safety and public trust.

As the head of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Marks Marks played a crucial role in ensuring vaccine safety and efficacy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With his announced departure, concerns are mounting over about the future of vaccine regulation in the U.S. and its potential to affect global public health.

Dr. Peter Marks' Resignation or A Forced Exit?

Dr. Marks' April 5 resignation was not voluntary, according to several sources. He was reportedly told: resign or get fired. His exit occurs under the tenure of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a highly publicized vaccine critic.

In his resignation letter, Marks expressed deep concern about the direction of vaccine oversight under Kennedy, writing that undermining confidence in vaccines is "irresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nation’s health, safety, and security." His letter further suggested that scientific integrity was at risk, accusing Kennedy of prioritizing misinformation over truth and transparency.

Since 2016, Marks has served as the head of the FDA's CBER division, guiding the approval of life-saving vaccines, such as the expedited development and authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccines under Operation Warp Speed. His work introduced mRNA technology into vaccines, which have transformed vaccine development and are being investigated for use against a variety of diseases other than COVID-19, including influenza and cancer.

Under his direction, the FDA also approved the first self-administered flu vaccine, offering a new level of protection against flu season. His time at the agency has been characterized by a focus on scientific integrity and transparency, which experts now worry will be undermined.

Kennedy's Anti-Vaccine Influence

Kennedy has been among the loudest anti-vaccine voices, often issuing inflammatory and widely discredited statements. He has challenged the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine and has been a leading force in attempts to undermine public confidence in vaccination campaigns. In 2021, he submitted a citizens petition requesting that the FDA withdraw COVID-19 vaccine authorizations, deeming them "the deadliest vaccines ever made."

His distrust of COVID-19 vaccines is not an isolated incident. Kennedy has also questioned the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, despite the U.S. experiencing the biggest measles outbreak since 2019. During a recent interview, he asserted that the MMR vaccine "does cause deaths every year," something refuted by the Infectious Disease Society of America, which has identified no deaths attributed to the vaccine in healthy people.

Will Vaccine Safety Be Compromised?

Public health officials are sounding the alarm that Marks' resignation could result in a radical change in vaccine regulation and policy. The FDA's CBER branch regulates not only vaccines but also blood products, gene therapies, and allergenic products. Any loss of its regulatory authority could have sweeping implications.

Issues regarding Kennedy's leadership will result in studies that will misleadingly associate vaccines with autism, a theory consistently disproven by scientific studies. Professionals caution that future research may misleadingly imply a connection between vaccines and autism, which could heighten public fear, reduce vaccination rates, and trigger further disease outbreaks.

Also, Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, characterized Marks' ouster as a loss for the FDA. "To push him out makes the FDA immensely weaker, less effective. This is not how we make America healthy," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The Risk of Public Health Setbacks

Marks' resignation can't have happened at a more important time. The U.S. is reeling from the increasing rate of vaccine-preventable diseases. The current multistate outbreak of measles, with its ferocity in Texas, highlights the severity of sliding vaccination rates. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 100,000 unvaccinated children have died last year in Africa and Asia as a result of complications related to measles. These numbers are a hard reminder of how devastating things become when misinformation surrounding vaccines spreads.

At the same time, HHS has allegedly requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reexamine the vaccine-autism connection, in the face of overwhelming scientific agreement that no such connection exists. The action further stoked concern that Kennedy's power might result in policy that negates a half-century of scientific advancement.

What's Next for the FDA and Public Health?

With Marks' departure, the FDA will have a vacuum of leadership at a moment when public health institutions' trust is already weakened. His replacement will have to contend with upholding scientific integrity while dealing with pressures from an administration that seems more and more politicized to counter anti-vaccine sentiment.

The next few months will tell if the FDA can resist political pressure and remain committed to its mission of safeguarding public health. For the moment, experts are calling for caution, stressing the need to protect the scientific standards that have long shaped vaccine regulation in the U.S.

Marks' exit is not simply a house-cleaning in bureaucratic circles—more importantly, it signals a possible turning point in how vaccine science is weighed, approved, and disseminated to the general public. Will this be a catalyst for public health disaster or not, the struggle for vaccine science is just beginning.

A powerful animal tranquilizer is increasingly being found in Canadian street drugs, raising serious public health concerns. Medetomidine, a sedative approved only for veterinary use, was first detected in the illicit drug market by Health Canada in 2022 in Brantford, Ontario. By 2023, Health Canada had identified 158 cases involving medetomidine. However, the number surged dramatically to 1,227 occurrences last year, according to an email statement from Health Canada to CTV News.

Before the holiday season, the RCMP issued a warning after medetomidine was found mixed with fentanyl in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, labeling it as “an extremely lethal combination.” As Saskatoon faces a fentanyl overdose crisis, Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR), the city’s safe consumption site, is on high alert. “They call it ‘the zombie drug,’” said PHR Executive Director Kayla DeMong. “It creates an extra level of overdose response because it doesn’t respond to naloxone.”

Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride has also observed naloxone’s reduced effectiveness when fentanyl is mixed with sedatives like benzodiazepines. “We’re administering naloxone in large doses, and it’s just not having the results we would normally see with a purer fentanyl product,” McBride said.

Why Are Tranquilizers Being Added to Fentanyl?

Dr Alexander Caudarella, CEO of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, suggests that sedatives are combined with fentanyl due to a perception that they enhance the high. However, he warned that this practice leads to more deaths and health complications. “These chemicals used in drug-making are, unfortunately, quite easy to obtain,” Caudarella told CTV News.

Why Would Drug Suppliers Risk Killing Their Clients?

Caudarella noted that illicit drug manufacturers lack expertise. “They don’t know what they’re doing. It’s very easy to accidentally make one percent fentanyl or three percent, even if it’s not intentional,” he explained.

McBride added that drug suppliers are motivated by profit rather than public safety. “They do not care. It’s quick money… it’s all about the money, they do not care about people whatsoever,” he said.

Rise of Brightly Colored Fentanyl

Recent police seizures indicate that fentanyl is now appearing in bright colors. In St. John’s, the medetomidine-fentanyl mixture was a blue powder. Last month, Regina police confiscated 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl in pink, blue, yellow, and green slabs.

Gillian Kolla, a public health researcher, first noticed the trend in 2017 in Toronto. “It’s a way for sellers to differentiate fentanyl from other white-powder drugs,” said Kolla, an assistant professor at Newfoundland’s Memorial University.

Caudarella added that the coloring could be a branding strategy to distinguish different fentanyl compounds and their potency. Meanwhile, McBride suggested that specific colors might signify particular suppliers or groups.

How Is Illicit Fentanyl Entering Canada?

Kolla highlighted a shift from plant-based drugs to synthetic drugs, noting that fentanyl is easier to smuggle than heroin, which requires large-scale farming. Caudarella pointed out that while some drugs are manufactured abroad, local production is also on the rise.

“When you don’t need a lot of experience and can make it cheaply, production moves closer to where the drugs are being sold,” he said.

In the fall, the RCMP uncovered a “super lab” in Langley, British Columbia, capable of producing multiple kilograms of fentanyl per week.

Tracking Drug Trends in Canada

Kolla said tracking drug movement is difficult due to the illicit nature of the trade. “People moving these substances around don’t generally like to talk,” she said.

DeMong maintains communication with other safe consumption sites across provinces, noting patterns in drug flow. “We often see a flow through Edmonton to here, while Regina tends to see a flow through Calgary,” she said. “Typically, whatever happens out west, we follow later.”

What Happens to Seized Fentanyl?

According to McBride, confiscated drugs are tested and then destroyed. “Most of it is burned,” he said. Health Canada’s Drug Analysis Service operates multiple labs across the country, analyzing substances seized by law enforcement and public health partners.

Your nose could potentially provide the clue to identifying early signs of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers indicate that an easy scratch-and-sniff test may be able to pinpoint those at risk of developing cognitive decline years before memory symptoms appear.

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer's, did more poorly on a test identifying scents than did people with normal cognition. Scientists think this simple, non-invasive test may be an early-warning system, as it can spot at-risk people years before they show significant mental symptoms.

Dr. Mark Albers, a Massachusetts General Hospital neurologist, headed the study, which highlighted the significance of early detection. "Our aim has been to create and validate a low-cost, non-invasive test that can be done at home, setting the stage for the advancement of research and treatment for Alzheimer's," Albers said.

The test itself is simple: the subjects smell labels of a card and try to recognize the scents from a multiple-choice option. They afterward measure the degree of their confidence in making a correct decision. Researchers have found that even as the sense of smell would decrease naturally with age, the decline was a good deal steeper among subjects who had MCI.

This research included 127 cognitively healthy subjects and 19 individuals with mild cognitive impairment. The latter group scored consistently lower in their capacity to identify and remember odors. Surprisingly, results were similar for English and Spanish speakers, and participants were able to complete the test successfully without support.

Why Smell Matters in Cognitive Health?

The relationship between smell and brain activity isn't new. The olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that handles smells, is among the first areas to be affected by Alzheimer's disease. Injury to this area can occur in the form of a lost sense of smell, which can happen years earlier than memory impairment is detected.

Olfactory dysfunction has been linked by various studies before to neurodegenerative illnesses. The recent study further adds weight to scent-based measures as an early detection tool. Alzheimer's tends to be diagnosed late in the illness, so having the ability to identify potential instances early could turn the treatment and intervention game on its head.

How is Alzheimer's Diagnosed?

Though the smell test is promising, it is not used as an independent diagnostic test for Alzheimer's or dementia. Doctors apply a combination of techniques, such as:

• Neurological tests
• Cognitive and functional tests
• Brain scans (MRI, CT, PET scans)
• Blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests

Doctors also assess a patient's psychiatric background, mental and behavioral shifts, and history of dementia in their family. These checks help develop a better picture of a patient's brain function.

Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease generally advances through three broad stages:

Early Stage (Mild Alzheimer's): Small memory slips, word-finding difficulty, and minor mood or personality changes.

Middle Stage (Moderate Alzheimer's): Apparent memory loss, disorientation in time and space, problem-solving difficulty, and personality changes.

Late Stage (Severe Alzheimer's): Major cognitive impairment, inability to effectively communicate, and complete reliance on caregivers for activities of daily living.

As Alzheimer's progresses differently in each person, passing through these phases is unique to every individual.

Why Early Detection Is Important?

Early detection of Alzheimer's is important. If you observe any of the 10 signs of Alzheimer's – including memory loss, struggling to complete familiar tasks, or mood changes – consulting a doctor is important. Early diagnosis has a number of advantages, including:

Access to therapeutic regimens: Though there is no cure, it is possible through medications and behavioral interventions to hinder disease progression as well as increase quality of life.

Future planning: With the early diagnosis comes the ability to make intelligent care, legal, and financial care decisions.

Engagement in research studies: People diagnosed early could be offered research studies where their participation can become part of emerging treatments.

What to Ask Your Doctor?

If you or a family member is being tested for cognitive impairment, here are some questions to ask your physician:

1. Why do you think this diagnosis is Alzheimer's or another type of dementia?
2. What phase is the disease at, and how will it continue to progress?
3. What are the treatment or management choices?
4. Who will be responsible for ongoing care, and what resources are there for support?

Whereas the smell test marks a thrilling beginning towards earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's, it must be subjected to more investigations that can attest its efficacy on varying populations and platforms. Researchers look forward to being able to harness olfactory testing in unison with other methodologies as an effort towards achieving easier and better cognitive decline screening.

For now, the best approach is to stay proactive. Regular check-ups, cognitive screenings, and awareness of early symptoms can help ensure timely intervention. If you suspect cognitive changes in yourself or a loved one, don’t wait—schedule an evaluation with a healthcare provider today.

Alzheimer's and dementia continue to be some of the toughest medical ailments across the globe. But breakthroughs such as the smell test give hope for more timely detection and treatment. With continued advancements, easy home tests could one day be a regular weapon in the battle against declining mental acuity. In the meantime, knowledge, early detection, and preventative health care continue to be the best defense against these crippling afflictions.