Scientists have rediscovered the 48,500 year old zombie virus, but it has been frozen until now.
As global temperatures rise, climate change is irreversibly defrosting major portions of the frozen Northern Hemisphere — a permanently frozen zone known as permafrost.
While the main concern was the amount of greenhouse gases released as a result of this effect, the most recent concern is that these could also threaten to start releasing dangerous ancient organisms into the world, posing a significant risk to public health.
The oldest of the 13 primitive viruses discovered by these researchers was an amoeba virus that had been dormant for 48,500 years under a lake.
The team determined that all 13 viruses still had the potential to become infectious pathogens using live single-cell amoeba cultures.
European scientists have studied ancient samples collected from permafrost in Russia’s Siberia region. Scientists have discovered 13 new viruses in addition to the zombie virus.
And, because the zombie virus is a disease, any outbreak poses a significant risk to humans.
And, because the zombie virus is a disease, any outbreak poses a significant risk to humans.