New Tool Aims to Predict and Rank Viral Risks

Fast Summary

• The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published Volume 122, Issue 16 in April 2025.
• The issue highlights the importance of rapidly responding to emerging infectious diseases.
• A tool called SpillOver: Viral Risk Ranking was developed as an open-source resource to evaluate the risk posed by wildlife-origin viruses spilling over into human populations and spreading.

Indian Opinion Analysis

India faces critically important challenges regarding zoonotic diseases due to its vast biodiversity and close interactions between humans and wildlife. Tools like SpillOver: Viral Risk ranking offer critical insights for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and researchers to preemptively identify high-risk pathogens. As urbanization accelerates alongside deforestation in parts of India, the likelihood of spillover events may increase. Integrating tools such as thes into India’s public health framework could bolster preparedness against future outbreaks.

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