Leading health agencies outline updated terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air

18 April 2024 

News release

Following consultation with public health agencies and experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a global technical consultation report introducing updated terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air. The pathogens covered include those that cause respiratory infections, e.g. COVID-19, influenza, measles, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and tuberculosis, among others.

在与公共卫生机构和专家协商后，世界卫生组织（世卫组织）发布了一份全球技术磋商报告，介绍了通过空气传播的病原体的最新术语。涵盖的病原体包括引起呼吸道感染的病原体，例如 COVID-19、流感、麻疹、中东呼吸综合征（MERS）、严重急性呼吸综合征 （SARS） 和结核病等。

The publication, entitled “Global technical consultation report on proposed terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air”, is the result of an extensive, multi-year, collaborative effort and reflects shared agreement on terminology between WHO, experts and four major public health agencies: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This agreement underlines the collective commitment of public health agencies to move forward together on this matter. 

该出版物题为“关于通过空气传播的病原体的拟议术语的全球技术磋商报告”，是广泛、多年合作努力的结果，反映了世卫组织、专家和四个主要公共卫生机构在术语方面的共识：非洲疾病控制和预防中心；中国疾病预防控制中心；欧洲疾病预防控制中心；以及美国疾病预防控制中心。这一共识强调了公共卫生机构在这一问题上共同前进的集体承诺。

The wide-ranging consultation was conducted in multiple steps in 2021-2023 and addressed a lack of common terminology to describe the transmission of pathogens through the air across scientific disciplines. The challenge became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic as experts from various sectors were required to provide scientific and policy guidance. Varying terminologies highlighted gaps in common understanding and contributed to challenges in public communication and efforts to curb the transmission of the pathogen. 

广泛的磋商在2021-2023年分多个步骤进行，解决了各学科缺乏通用术语来描述病原体通过空气传播的问题。在COVID-19大流行期间，由于需要来自不同行业的专家提供科学和政策指导，这一挑战变得尤为明显。不同的术语凸显了在共同理解方面的差距，并导致大众传播和遏制病原体传播的努力面临挑战。

“Together with a very diverse range of leading public health agencies and experts across multiple disciplines, we are pleased to have been able to address this complex and timely issue and reach a consensus,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, WHO Chief Scientist. “The agreed terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air will help set a new path for research agendas and implementation of public health interventions to identify, communicate and respond to existing and new pathogens.”

世卫组织首席科学家Jeremy Farrar博士说：“我们很高兴能够与各主要的公共卫生机构和多学科专家一道，解决这一复杂而及时的问题，并达成共识。通过空气传播的病原体的商定术语将有助于为研究议程和实施公共卫生干预措施开辟新的道路，以识别、交流和应对现有的和新的病原体。”

The extensive consultation resulted in the introduction of the following common descriptors to characterize the transmission of pathogens through the air (under typical circumstances):

经过广泛磋商，采用了以下共同描述语来描述病原体通过空气传播的特征（在典型情况下）：

Individuals infected with a respiratory pathogen can generate and expel infectious particles containing the pathogen, through their mouth or nose by breathing, talking, singing, spitting, coughing or sneezing. These particles should be described with the term ‘infectious respiratory particles’ or IRPs.IRPs exist on a continuous spectrum of sizes, and no single cut off points should be applied to distinguish smaller from larger particles. This facilitates moving away from the dichotomy of previously used terms: ‘aerosols’ (generally smaller particles) and ‘droplets’ (generally larger particles).

感染呼吸道病原体的个体可以通过呼吸、说话、唱歌、吐痰、咳嗽或打喷嚏通过口或鼻产生和排出含有病原体的传染性颗粒。这些颗粒应该用术语“感染性呼吸道颗粒”或IRP来描述。IRP存在于连续的尺寸范围内，不应使用单一的分界点来区分较小和较大的颗粒。这有助于摆脱以前使用的术语的二分法：“气溶胶”（通常是较小的颗粒）和“液滴”（通常是较大的颗粒）。

The descriptor ‘through the air’ can be used in a general way to characterize an infectious disease where the main mode of transmission involves the pathogen travelling through the air or being suspended in the air. Under the umbrella of ‘through the air transmission’, two descriptors can be used: 

“通过空气”这一描述语可用于概述一种传染病的特征，其主要传播方式涉及病原体通过空气传播或悬浮在空气中。在“通过空气传输”这一笼统的说法下，可以使用两种描述语：

1. Airborne transmission or inhalation, for cases when IRPs are expelled into the air and inhaled by another person. Airborne transmission or inhalation can occur at a short or long distance from the infectious person and distance depends on various factors (airflow, humidity, temperature, ventilation etc). IRPs can theoretically enter the body at any point along the human respiratory tract, but preferred sites of entry may be pathogen-specific.

空气传播或吸入，适用于将IRP排出到空气中并被他人吸入的情况。空气传播或吸入可以发生在距离感染者或近或远的地方，距离取决于各种因素(气流，湿度，温度，通风等)。理论上，IRP可以在人体呼吸道的任何位置进入人体，但首选的进入部位可能是病原体特异性的。

2. Direct deposition, for cases when IRPs are expelled into the air from an infectious person, and are then directly deposited on the exposed mouth, nose or eyes of another person nearby, then entering the human respiratory system and potentially causing infection. 

直接沉积，适用于感染者将IRP排入空气中，然后IRP直接沉积在附近另一个人暴露的口、鼻或眼睛上，然后进入人体呼吸系统并可能引起感染的情况。

“This global technical consultation process was a concerted effort of many influential and experienced experts,” said Dr Gagandeep Kang, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India who is a Co-Chair of the WHO Technical Working Group. “Reaching consensus on these terminologies bringing stakeholders in an unprecedented way was no small feat. 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,” added Dr Yuguo Li from the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (China), who also co-chaired the Technical Working Group.

“这一全球技术磋商进程是许多有影响力和经验丰富的专家的共同努力，”世卫组织技术工作组联合主席、印度韦洛尔基督教医学院的Gagandeep Kang博士说。“以前所未有的方式让利益相关者就这些术语达成共识绝非易事。完成这次磋商为我们提供了一个新的机会和起点，以更好地了解通过空气传播的疾病并达成一致的原则，”（中国）香港特别行政区香港大学的李玉国博士补充说，他也是技术工作组的共同主席。

This consultation was the first phase of global scientific discussions led by WHO. Next steps include further technical and multidisciplinary research and exploration of the wider implementation implications of the updated descriptors. 

这次磋商是世卫组织领导的全球科学讨论的第一阶段。接下来的步骤包括进一步开展技术和多学科研究，并探讨更新后的描述语在实施方面的更广泛影响。