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WHO updates terminology for pathogens that transmit through air
The UN health agency said the change aims to help identify, communicate about and respond to existing and new airborne pathogens
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced updated terminology on Thursday for pathogens that transmit through the air, doing away with terms like “aerosols” and “droplets” in favour of “infectious respiratory particles.”
The UN health agency said the change aims to help identify, communicate about and respond to existing and new airborne pathogens. It also hopes to clear confusion about airborne transmission that arose during the Covid-19 pandemic due to differing views on whether the coronavirus spread via smaller aerosols or larger droplets.
“The wide-ranging consultation was conducted in 2021-2023 and addressed a lack of common terminology to describe the transmission of pathogens through the air across scientific disciplines,” the WHO said. Varying terminology “highlighted gaps in common understanding and contributed to challenges in public communication and efforts to curb transmission” of Covid-19.
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Under the new terminology, all particles expelled from the mouth or nose of an infected person, regardless of size, are called “infectious respiratory particles” or IRPs. WHO said the spectrum of IRP sizes is continuous, meaning there is no strict cut-off between smaller and larger particles.
The descriptor “through the air” characterises diseases where the main transmission mode involves IRPs travelling through or being suspended in air. Within this, WHO defines two types of transmission. First, airborne transmission or inhalation, when IRPs are expelled into the air and inhaled by others at short or long distances, depending on factors like airflow and ventilation.
Second, direct deposition, when IRPs expelled by an infectious person are deposited on the exposed mouth, nose or eyes of a nearby person.
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“This global technical consultation process was a concerted effort of many influential and experienced experts,” said Gagandeep Kang of the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, who co-chaired the working group.
Yuguo Li from the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (China), who also co-chaired the Technical Working Group, added, “…Completing this consultation gives us a new opportunity and starting point to move forward with a better understanding and agreed principles for diseases that transmit through the air.”
The publication, entitled “Global technical consultation report on proposed terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air”, has been released following an extensive consultation.
