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.
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According to Science Alert, Pandoravirus is one of 13 viruses possessing their own genome outlined in the study.
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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'
