On January 7, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Science Council jointly released a new report, stating that with the intensification of climate change, the melting of Arctic permafrost may release deadly microbes that have been trapped in ice for millennia, posing a serious threat to human health and ecosystems.
The report pointed out that in the summer of 2016, the permafrost in Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula melted due to abnormally high temperatures, leading to the release of anthrax bacteria. This caused the death of more than 2,500 reindeer and triggered multiple human infection cases, one of which led to the death of a 12-year-old boy. This incident has been regarded as a major warning of the potential impacts of climate change.
Research shows that the Arctic region is covered by 14 million square kilometers of permafrost, containing a large number of microbes frozen in the ice. As Arctic temperatures rise at a rate four times faster than the global average, the melting of permafrost could release these bacteria and viruses that have been dormant for thousands of years. It is estimated that the number of microbes released annually due to permafrost melting could reach 40 trillion (4 followed by 21 zeros).
What is particularly concerning is that the permafrost also contains numerous animal carcasses that are carrying dormant pathogens. UNEP’s Chief Scientist, David Shewood, noted that the transmission of pathogens between humans and animals is not a new phenomenon, but the melting of Arctic permafrost may trigger outbreaks in new regions. Shewood warned that with the increase in Arctic activities, such as shipping and mining, the risk of human exposure to thawing permafrost and microbes is also increasing. The land use patterns in the Arctic may undergo drastic changes, and the potential consequences are alarming.
What Ancient Viruses Are Found in Arctic Permafrost?
Methuselah Virus: Known as a "zombie virus," this virus has been frozen for 48,500 years and can survive and infect cultured cells.
Mollivirus sibericum: This virus has been dormant for 30,000 years and is covered by a fluffy protective layer. Each infection can release 200-300 new virus particles.
Pithovirus mammoth: Frozen for 27,000 years, this virus was isolated from petrified wool of a mammoth found along the Amur River in Russia's Far East.
P. mammoth: A giant virus that infects amoebas, measuring up to 1.2 micrometers in length, with large bottle-shaped particles. It can infect animals in mouse cell cultures.
Pacmanviruses: These viruses are about 0.2 micrometers long and have a unique structure.
Cedrvirus: This virus has less detailed information, but it was also found in Arctic permafrost.
These viruses have been preserved for tens of thousands of years in Arctic permafrost, with the low-temperature environment of the permafrost providing ideal conditions for their preservation.
