Disease X: Hunting the Next Pandemic

Overview

Virologist Dr Chris van Tulleken embarks on a global investigation into the hunt for the pathogen that could trigger the next pandemic and the cutting-edge science developed to tackle it. Known only as ‘Disease X’, it is shrouded in uncertainty. Its origin is unknown, how it could spread is unclear, but its impact could be much more severe than Covid-19. To uncover what Disease X might be, where it could emerge and what traits it needs to spread, Chris follows the paths of past deadly viruses. He visits the ground zero of the Nipah virus in Malaysia, which inspired the film Contagion. He also heads to the front line of the ongoing bird flu outbreak in US dairy cattle in California.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

September 22, 2025

Original language

English

Spoken languages

English

Production

BBC,STV Studios,BBC Two

Cast

Dr Chris van Tulleken

Director

Emeka Onono

Producer

John Redshaw,Joe Sharp,Craig Hunter

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

Homepage

Official site

IMDb

tt38502873