Why Read: The prevalence of new and existing disease outbreaks in the news cycle isn't hype; it's a reflection of a new reality. We now live in what has been termed the Pandemicene - a human-caused era of increasing outbreaks of pandemic disease and parasites.

This week, we outline a few that threaten our systems, livelihoods, and health. Read on for a deep dive into a number of these pathogens, potential economic impacts, how worried we should be, what can be done, and implications of the increase in these diseases around the world.