The “Report on the global technical consultation on proposed terminology for airborne pathogens” was established thanks to collaboration among the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa, China, Europe and the United States of America.

The agreement highlights the collective commitment by public health organizations to move forward together to break new ground in research agendas, as well as to implement public health interventions to detect, report and respond to existing and new pathogens, according to the WHO text.

It thus states that people infected by a respiratory pathogen may generate and expel infectious particles containing the pathogen through the mouth or nose when breathing, talking, singing, spitting, coughing or sneezing.

“These particles should be described by the term “respiratory infectious particles” or RIPs,” the document states.

jg/jav/mem/cdg