Work

Emerging Biological Threats in the Twenty-First Century: A Narrative Review Integrating One Health, Genomic Surveillance, and Laboratory Biosecurity for Pandemic Preparedness

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: The frequency of emerging infectious diseases has risen over the twenty-first century, driven by anthropogenic pressures including wildlife trade, rapid urbanization, deforestation, and climate change, which increasingly force human, animal, and environmental systems into closer proximity and create conditions favorable to zoonotic spillover. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global health infrastructure while also catalyzing advances in genomic epidemiology and medical countermeasure platforms. This narrative review synthesizes recent peer-reviewed and policy literature (see Search Strategy) on pathogen emergence, the operationalization of the One Health framework, and the intersection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with viral outbreaks, including the well-documented rise in empirical antibiotic use and secondary multidrug-resistant infections during acute respiratory pandemics. We also review gaps in laboratory biosecurity, including governance of Dual-Use Research of Concern (DURC), the expansion of high-containment laboratories, and emerging cyberbiosecurity risks. Building on this literature, we propose an integrated preparedness framework organized around three pillars-One Health surveillance, genomic and environmental surveillance, and laboratory biosecurity and governance-with AMR and artificial intelligence (AI) treated as cross-cutting considerations, and with particular attention to the constraints facing low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and fragile, conflict-affected settings. We argue that strengthening global biosecurity will require decentralized genomic surveillance, sustained local laboratory capacity, and equitable international cooperation, while noting that the feasibility of these measures depends on financing, governance, and workforce constraints that are not yet fully resolved in the literature.

Source: Infection and Drug Resistance

DOI: 10.2147/idr.s638751

Authors: Shafie Abdulkadir Hassan, Bashir Abdirahman Guled, Abdifetah Ibrahim Omar

Institution: Jamhuriya University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Zoonotic diseases and public health

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,836