Scientists Warn of Possible, 'Public Health Threat' After , Reviving Ancient 'Zombie Virus' .
The 'New York Post' reports that French scientists have
ignited fears of an outbreak after reviving a "zombie virus"
that had been trapped in a frozen lake for 50,000 years.
The 'New York Post' reports that French scientists have
ignited fears of an outbreak after reviving a "zombie virus"
that had been trapped in a frozen lake for 50,000 years.
The situation would be much more
disastrous in the case of plant, animal,
or human diseases caused by
the revival of an ancient unknown virus, Stated in 'An update on eukaryotic viruses revived
from ancient permafrost,' via 'New York Post'.
According to the paper, global warming has
irreversibly begun to thaw vast areas of permafrost, , "releasing organic matter frozen
for up to a million years.".
Part of this organic matter also consists
of revived cellular microbes (prokaryotes,
unicellular eukaryotes) as well as
viruses that remained dormant
since prehistorical times, Stated in 'An update on eukaryotic viruses revived
from ancient permafrost,' via 'New York Post'.
The oldest revived "zombie virus" has been named
Pandoravirus yedoma and was found in soil
that was dated to be 48,500 years old. .
According to Science Alert,
Pandoravirus is one of 13 viruses possessing
their own genome outlined in the study. .
The team suggests that the world could experience
more COVID-like pandemics as the melting permafrost
continues to unearth long-dormant viruses.
It is therefore legitimate to ponder
the risk of ancient viral particles remaining
infectious and getting back into circulation
by the thawing of ancient permafrost layers. , Stated in 'An update on eukaryotic viruses revived
from ancient permafrost,' via 'New York Post'.
If the authors are indeed isolating live
viruses from ancient permafrost, it is likely
that the even smaller, simpler mammalian
viruses would also survive frozen for eons, Eric Delwart, University of California
virologist, via 'New Scientist'