Revived ‘Zombie Virus’ from 50,000-Year-Old Siberian Permafrost
Initially, the primary focus of climate change centered around the release of greenhouse gases resulting from the thawing of frost in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the current concern has shifted to the emergence of ancient, hazardous microbes preserved deep within the permafrost, a permanently frozen zone.
Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research recently unearthed more than a dozen archaic viruses in the Siberian region of Russia. These microbes, if unleashed, could pose a significant threat to public health, according to Jean-Marie Alempic, a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, as reported by Science Alert.
Among the 13 ancient viruses revived, the oldest was an amoeba virus that had lain dormant beneath a lake for 48,500 years. Through live single-cell amoeba cultures, the team determined that all 13 viruses still retained the potential to become infectious pathogens.
Notably, the study revealed that nine out of the thirteen viruses are estimated to be tens of thousands of years old, with some found in mammoth wool and the intestines of a Siberian wolf, all buried beneath the Siberian permafrost.
Further research is imperative to evaluate the potential danger these infectious agents might pose upon their release into the atmosphere.
Upon the revelation of the ‘Zombie viruses,’ numerous social media users took to platforms to share their reactions. A Twitter user humorously questioned the feasibility of trapping a zombie virus in ice for 50,000 years and then retrieving it, while another user expressed concern about the discovery of 13 previously unseen viruses, contemplating preparations for an impending apocalypse.