Anonymous2 months ago
A landmark UC San Diego study published in Cell in March 2026 reveals that most pandemic viruses require no special evolutionary adaptation before jumping from animals to humans, upending long-held assumptions about zoonotic spillover. As spillover events increase by nearly 5% annually—driven by deforestation, wildlife trade, and intensive agriculture—the findings underscore an urgent reality: the next pandemic threat is already circulating in animal reservoirs, ready to cross the species barrier at any moment.