KUWAIT CITY, Nov 8: Scientists warn of an impending global threat known as the "Great Pandemic," which could unleash the deadliest infectious disease in human history.

This looming danger is linked to the paramyxovirus family, encompassing over 75 viruses, including mumps, measles, and respiratory infections. This family of viruses has been added to the list of epidemic pathogens by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, necessitating vigilant monitoring.

One of the viruses within this family is the Nipah virus, which has the ability to infect cells with receptors controlling the passage of substances into or out of cells lining the central nervous system and vital organs. This variant has a staggering 75 percent mortality rate, far surpassing that of the "Covid-19" virus.

Scientists emphasize that paramyxoviruses, unlike influenza and "Covid-19," exhibit rapid change and do not seem to mutate as they spread. However, they have developed a high degree of transmissibility among humans.

Michael Norris, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, has conveyed concerns about the potential scenario where a paramyxovirus emerges, being as contagious as measles and as deadly as Nipah.

The first parasite discovered within this family, known as "rinderpest," was identified in 1902. Remarkably, it became the second disease to be completely eradicated in 2011, following smallpox, which was last observed in humans in 1980.

Despite scientists' knowledge of paramyxoviruses for over a century, they are still grappling with the challenge of understanding how these viruses leap across different species.