Could zombie viruses cause a new deadly pandemic? Here’s what scientists say

As a result, researchers have begun to develop an Arctic surveillance system to identify early examples of disease brought about by archaic microbes. To contain the outbreak and prevent sick individuals from fleeing the area, it will also provide quarantine and professional medical care to sick people.

“At the moment, the analysis of pandemic risks focuses on diseases that could emerge in southern regions and then spread to the north,” said Jean-Michel Claverie, a geneticist at Aix-Marseille University.

“In contrast, very little attention has been paid to an outbreak that could emerge in the far north and then move south – and I believe this is a mistake. There are viruses out there that have the potential to infect humans and start a new disease outbreak,” he said Guardian.

Marion Koopmans, a virologist at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, agreed, saying, “We don’t know what viruses are lying in the permafrost.”

“However, I think there is a real risk that someone might be able to spread a disease – say an ancient form of polio. We have to recognize that something like that could happen,” Koopmans said.

Scientists led by Claverie discovered the live virus in Siberia in 2014, revealing that the virus can still infect single-celled organisms despite being thousands of years old and buried in permafrost.

Furthermore, in a follow-up study published last year, it was discovered that there were several different viral strains in seven different Siberian locations that could infect cultured cells. A virus sample that was 48,500 years old was given.

“The viruses we isolated were only capable of infecting amoebas and posed no threat to humans. However, this does not mean that other viruses – which are currently frozen in permafrost – may not be capable of triggering diseases in humans. We have identified genomic signatures of poxviruses and herpesviruses, which are well-known human pathogens for example,” Claverie said.

One-fifth of the Northern Hemisphere is covered with permafrost, which is composed of soil that has been kept at temperatures below zero for long periods of time. Scientists have found that some layers have been frozen for hundreds of thousands of years, Guardian informed of.

Claverie further said that the important thing about permafrost is that it is cold, dark and lacks oxygen, which is perfect for preserving organic material.

However, permafrost is developing globally. Alaska, Siberia and Canada contain the upper layers of the planet’s primary reserves, which are melting as a result of the Arctic being disproportionately affected by climate change.

Milestone alert!
Livemint tops charts as fastest growing news website in the world Click here to find out more.

Unlock a world of benefits! From informative newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and personalized newsfeeds – it’s all here, just a click away! log in now!

Published: Jan 23, 2024, 11:58 am IST