Malaria is a disease transmitted by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. According to WHO figures, the disease caused 608,000 deaths worldwide in 2022. For several years now, parasites have been developing resistance to antimalarial drugs and mosquitoes are increasingly less susceptible to insecticides.

A new respiratory virus emerged in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It was named MERS-CoV, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, and it affects the respiratory tract, causing fever and a cough and proving fatal in 30% of cases. The virus has since been reported in several countries throughout the Middle East. In all, 1,219 cases have been diagnosed, leading to 449 deaths. Several cases have been detected in Europe, including two in France in 2013. On May 20, 2015, a case originating in the Middle East was identified in South Korea, and as of June 16, 2015 had indirectly infected 154 people, 19 of them fatally. To date, no specific treatment or vaccine is available for fighting this virus. The current challenge is to contain the epidemic and get research efforts under way to develop a vaccine and a treatment.

Listeriosis is a severe foodborne infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It can cause septicemia or central nervous system infections. In pregnant women, it can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery or serious neonatal infection.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that occurs worldwide. It is transmitted from animals to humans via urine. The main animal reservoirs are rats, but any mammals can carry the bacteria. In humans, leptospirosis is often mild, but it can lead to kidney failure or even death in 5 to 20% of cases.

The Ebola virus causes high fever and bleeding that can often prove fatal. The death rate varies between 30 and 90% depending on the outbreak and virus species. Bats are believed to be the natural reservoir of the Ebola virus. The virus was first discovered in 1976 following outbreaks in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, there have been around 20 outbreaks in Central Africa. In December 2013, the virus spread to West Africa, a region that had previously been unaffected by the disease. In 2014, it gave rise to the largest outbreak to date. It has since reemerged on several occasions in the DRC and also in Guinea in 2021. The focus of current research efforts is the continued development of treatments and diagnostic tools for treating and detecting the disease.

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Although rarely fatal, chikungunya can cause significant pain and debilitating symptoms that affect patients' quality of life. Existing treatments are solely symptomatic. In France, the current conditions in 80% of départements are conducive to the emergence of chikungunya.

Aspergillosis is a general term for infections caused by a type of mold (fungus) belonging to the genus Aspergillus. The mold that causes aspergillosis can be found everywhere in the environment in the form of spores, but in certain conditions it can become pathogenic, for example in immunocompromised people or those with chronic lung disease. The diseases caused by Aspergillus differ depending on the individual's state of heath.

Amebiasis is one of the most deadly parasitic diseases in the world (after malaria and schistosomiasis). Around 10% of the global population is thought to be infected with parasitic amoebae of the genus Entamoeba, the most pathogenic of which is Entamoeba histolytica, the amebiasis agent. Infection is often asymptomatic but it may result in multiple complications.

En 2012, un nouveau virus respiratoire fait son apparition en Arabie Saoudite. Baptisé MERS-CoV pour Coronavirus du Syndrome Respiratoire du Moyen-Orient, il touche le tractus respiratoire et est responsable de fièvre et de toux, pouvant entrainer la mort dans environ 30% des cas. Le virus est alors détecté dans plusieurs pays du Moyen-Orient. Depuis, 1219 cas ont été diagnostiqués, provoquant 449 morts. Quelques cas ont été détectés en Europe, dont 2 cas en France en 2013. Le 20 mai 2015, un cas provenant du Moyen-Orient est identifié en Corée du Sud, contaminant à ce jour (16 juin 2015) indirectement 154 personnes, dont 19 mortellement. A l’heure actuelle, aucun traitement spécifique ou vaccin n’est disponible contre ce virus. L’enjeu actuel est de contenir l’épidémie, puis de poursuivre les efforts de recherche pour mettre au point un vaccin et un traitement.

Le virus West Nile (ou virus du Nil occidental) est transmis à l’homme par les moustiques. Il entraîne une fièvre brutale, parfois associée à des complications neurologiques qui peuvent être sévères chez de nombreuses espèces animales. Depuis sa première identification en Afrique de l’Est, le virus a été identifié sur l’ensemble des continents. Aujourd’hui, il est endémique dans le pourtour méditerranéen, en Europe centrale et en Amérique du Nord où il est responsable de cas humains mortels comme il a été observé en Grèce continentale, en Italie du Sud et aux Etats-Unis.