Journal Article

Global research trends of World Health Organization’s top eight emerging pathogens

Sweileh, Waleed M.

2017

Overview

Background On December 8 th , 2015, World Health Organization published a priority list of eight pathogens expected to cause severe outbreaks in the near future. To better understand global research trends and characteristics of publications on these emerging pathogens, we carried out this bibliometric study hoping to contribute to global awareness and preparedness toward this topic. Method Scopus database was searched for the following pathogens/infectious diseases: Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, Rift valley, Crimean-Congo, Nipah, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and Severe Respiratory Acute Syndrome (SARS). Retrieved articles were analyzed to obtain standard bibliometric indicators. Results A total of 8619 journal articles were retrieved. Authors from 154 different countries contributed to publishing these articles. Two peaks of publications, an early one for SARS and a late one for Ebola, were observed. Retrieved articles received a total of 221,606 citations with a mean ± standard deviation of 25.7 ± 65.4 citations per article and an h -index of 173. International collaboration was as high as 86.9%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had the highest share (344; 5.0%) followed by the University of Hong Kong with 305 (4.5%). The top leading journal was Journal of Virology with 572 (6.6%) articles while Feldmann, Heinz R . was the most productive researcher with 197 (2.3%) articles. China ranked first on SARS, Turkey ranked first on Crimean-Congo fever, while the United States of America ranked first on the remaining six diseases. Of retrieved articles, 472 (5.5%) were on vaccine – related research with Ebola vaccine being most studied. Conclusion Number of publications on studied pathogens showed sudden dramatic rise in the past two decades representing severe global outbreaks. Contribution of a large number of different countries and the relatively high h -index are indicative of how international collaboration can create common health agenda among distant different countries.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Animals / Bibliometrics / Bibliometrics - history / Citation analysis / Collaboration / Communicable Diseases - epidemiology / Communicable Diseases, Emerging - epidemiology / Communicable Diseases, Emerging - prevention & control / Coronavirus Infections - complications / Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology / Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control / Coronaviruses / Development Economics / Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control / Disease prevention / Disease transmission / Ebola virus / Epidemics / Epidemiology / Fever / Forecasts and trends / Globalization and disease / Health Services Research / Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean - complications / Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean - epidemiology / Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean - prevention & control / Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola - complications / Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola - epidemiology / Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola - prevention & control / Hirsch index / History, 20th Century / History, 21st Century / Humans / Infectious diseases / International cooperation / Keywords / Lassa Fever - complications / Lassa Fever - epidemiology / Lassa Fever - prevention & control / Marburg Virus Disease - complications / Marburg Virus Disease - epidemiology / Marburg Virus Disease - prevention & control / Medical research / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Medicine, Experimental / Middle East respiratory syndrome / Nipah Virus - pathogenicity / Outbreaks / Pathogenic microorganisms / Pathogens / Productivity / Public Health / Publishing / Quality of Life Research / R&D / Research & development / Research - statistics & numerical data / Research - trends / Respiratory diseases / Rift Valley Fever - complications / Rift Valley Fever - epidemiology / Rift Valley Fever - prevention & control / Rift valleys / Severe acute respiratory syndrome / Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - complications / Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - epidemiology / Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - prevention & control / Social Policy / Vaccines / Viruses / World Health Organization - organization & administration / Zoonoses