The epidemic of unknown viruses, which are frozen in the Arctic ice, and especially in Russian Siberia, can threaten humanity, writes The Guardian.
"Ancient viruses, frozen in the permafrost of the Arctic, can be released one day because of warming of the climate of the Earth and causing a major outbreak," the article reads.
"We do not know what viruses are in eternal permafrost, but I think there is a real risk that one of them can provoke an outbreak of disease - let's say, a long -standing form of polio. We must assume that something similar can happen," - said Virusologist Marion Kupmans.
The fact that "frozen" viruses can attack humanity again, says the geneticist Jean-Michel Kleeri from the University of Marseille. In 2014, he conducted experiments with viruses found in Siberian permafrost, and made sure that they could still infect the unicellular protozoa. viruses was 48 500 years old.
And, although a person cannot infect this particular virus, “it does not mean that other viruses that are currently frozen in eternal permafrost cannot cause disease in humans,” says Career.
Eternal permafrost, which covers the fifth of the planet, is now believed to be melted due to global warming , which increases the risks of "the" survival "of viruses that people have forgotten for a long time.
Therefore, scientists have begun to plan the creation of an Arctic monitoring network, which will detect early cases of diseases caused by ancient microorganisms.
Career believes that global warming can cause a boom in the development of Siberia, but is at risk that it will "release a huge number of pathogens."
Scientists believe that eternal permafrost at the deepest levels can contain viruses under one million years old, which are much older than humans. "Our immune system may have never been in contact with some of these germs," says Career.
