Researchers have reactivated 30,000-year-old RNA viruses from tundra
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| The permafrost is now thawing for the first time since before the last ice age ( Getty ). |
In the last fortnight a devastating heatwave has seen temperatures in Siberia reach a record 38C (100.4F), meanwhile, vast fires are burning, releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and dramatically illustrating the vicious circle of climate breakdown.
As climate scientists ponder whether these extremes portend the dawn of a terrifying new era of supercharged heat in the Arctic, the planet also remains gripped by the coronavirus pandemic.
Scientists have said the rapidly warming climate in the far north risks exposing long-dormant viruses, which may be tens or even hundreds of thousands of years old, and have been frozen in the permafrost in the Arctic.
Due to the rapid heating – the Arctic is
warming up at least twice as fast as the rest of the world – the
permafrost is now thawing for the first time since before the last ice
age, potentially freeing pathogens the like of which modern humans have
never before grappled with.
Jean Michel Claverie, a virologist at Aix-Marseille University, told Greenpeace’s investigative journalism outfit Unearthed: “The idea that bacteria can survive for very long I think is definitely accepted. The remaining debate is for how long? Is it a million years? 500,000 years? Is it 50,000 years?”
He added: “There are extremely good papers that say yes, you can revive bacteria from deep permafrost.”
Dr Chantal Abergel, also a virologist at the same institution, added: “We are able to revive viruses out of ancient permafrost samples. So far we have not been able to go up to 30,000 years, but it may come at some point.”
So far researchers have been able to successfully reactivate ancient DNA viruses, but not the more fragile RNA viruses.
RNA viruses include diseases such as Spanish flu and the coronavirus responsible for the current pandemic.
DNA viruses include the now practically eradicated disease smallpox.
Another threat is from bacteria – in 2016 an outbreak of anthrax killed thousands of reindeer.
Climate change triggers Great Barrier Reef bleaching in 2020
Dr Claverie said the risk was not only due to the thawing permafrost, but also due to the increased human and animal activity in areas which have long been very sparsely populated.
He said: “This is a recipe for disaster because you have humans here and you have the virus when it is fresh. When viruses are released from the permafrost in nature, what happens? They fall into the river. They are exposed to oxygen, which is bad for viruses. They are exposed to light, which is also bad for viruses. And so they will not be revived for very long if they don’t find a host very quickly.”
He added: “If [the viruses] come into contact with a proper host then they will reactivate. So if you put a human in a place with frozen viruses associated with pandemic, then those humans could be infected and replicate the virus and start a new pandemic.”
Links
- The permafrost pandemic: could the melting Arctic release a deadly disease?
- NASA Images Show Extreme Heat And Fires Raging Across Siberia
- Arctic Circle Sees 'Highest-Ever' Recorded Temperatures
- Devastating Simulations Say Sea Ice Will Be Completely Gone In Arctic Summers By 2050
- Arctic Climate Change – It’s Recent Carbon Emissions We Should Fear, Not Ancient Methane ‘Time Bombs’
- The Arctic May Have Crossed Key Threshold, Emitting Billions Of Tons Of Carbon Into The Air, In A Long-Dreaded Climate Feedback
- 2019 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Tied For Second Lowest On Record
- Climate Change: Arctic Permafrost Now Melting At Levels Not Expected Until 2090
- The Smithsonian’s Renewed Fossil Hall Sends A Forceful Message About Climate Change
- Melting Permafrost In Arctic Will Have $70tn Climate Impact – Study
- An Ocean Of Evidence On Warming Is Our Cue To Take Action - Now
- Melting Arctic Ice Is Now Pouring 14,000 Tons Of Water Per Second Into The Ocean, Scientists Find
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