Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Scientists have issued a warning about the potential threat of ancient viruses, known as 'zombie viruses,' lurking in the Arctic permafrost, said a report by The Guardian.
The melting permafrost could release these Methuselah microbes, potentially triggering a deadly global pandemic. The impact of global warming has raised fears of unleashing dormant viruses which were naturally preserved in frozen soil for thousands of years.
'Zombie viruses' are pathogens capable of maintaining viability for tens of thousands of years in the frozen soil. Currently they are buried under 20% of the Earth's northern hemisphere, mainly in the Arctic region.
Geneticist Jean-Michel Claverie of Aix-Marseille University revived viruses from samples taken from Siberian permafrost, demonstrating the potential risks associated with these ancient pathogens.
Scientists have emphasized the oversight in focusing on diseases emerging in southern regions, urging attention to the risk of outbreaks originating in the far north and spreading south.
Scientist Marion Koopmans of the Erasmus Medical Center acknowledged the real risk of a virus capable of triggering a disease outbreak, such as an ancient form of polio.
Despite being frozen for over 48,500 years, live viruses in permafrost could easily infect single-celled organisms, as demonstrated by previous scientific investigations.
The rapid disappearance of Arctic sea ice due to global warming has opened up the region to increased shipping, traffic, and industrial development, potentially releasing pathogens with catastrophic consequences.