Stopping the Next One: Scientists Race to Prevent Human Encroachment on Wildlife From Causing the Next Pandemic

Today, animal-borne diseases cause an incredible 2.4 billion cases of human illness each year and 2.2 million deaths. It's about to get far worse.

Zoonotic diseases like Covid-19 are becoming riskier to humans because of our own actions. Our effect on the climate, encroachment on wildlife habitats and global travel help circulate animal-borne diseases further than ever before. Combined with urbanisation, overpopulation and global trade, we’ve created the ideal world for pandemics to thrive.

In this multimedia series, we travel six continents to learn about six different animals that carry diseases that could cause the next pandemic. And we meet the scientists on the front lines who are working to warn the world about them. From Mers-carrying camels in Africa to the pigs with influenza in Europe, we 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.