Climate change has caused significant damage to the planet, including the thawing of permafrost, which has released ancient viruses and bacteria that were frozen for thousands of years. The recent discovery of "zombie" viruses that can still infect living single-celled amoebas has raised concerns among scientists about the potential risks to public health. This essay will examine the implications of this phenomenon, the challenges that may arise, and possible solutions to prevent it, while discussing permafrost and its relation to climate change.
Permafrost is a layer of soil that remains frozen year-round and covers 15% of the land in the Northern Hemisphere. However, due to climate change, permafrost is thawing rapidly, revealing ancient relics such as viruses, bacteria, woolly mammoths, and even a perfectly preserved cave bear. French professor Jean-Michel Claverie discovered strains of the 48,000-year-old frozen virus from a few permafrost sites in Siberia, and the oldest strain, dating back 48,500 years, came from a sample of soil from an underground lake, while the youngest samples were 27,000 years old. One of the young samples was discovered in the carcass of a woolly mammoth.
As climate change warms the Arctic, thawing permafrost could release ancient viruses that haven't been in contact with living things for thousands of years, leading to a potential public health threat. Plants, animals, and humans might lack immunity to these viruses. Birgitta EvengÄrd, a professor emerita at Umea University's Department of Clinical Microbiology in Sweden, said, "If there is a virus hidden in the permafrost that we have not been in contact with for thousands of years, it might be that our immune defense is not sufficient."
Claverie has been publishing research on "zombie" viruses since 2014 and revived several new strains of these viruses, finding that each one could still infect cultured amoebas, which should be regarded as a concerning public-health threat. These amoeba-infecting viruses can be seen as surrogates for all other possible viruses that might be in permafrost. Therefore, if the amoeba viruses are still alive, there is no reason why other viruses will not be still alive and capable of infecting their own hosts.
Thawing permafrost poses a significant challenge to public health, but the scientific community can take preventive measures to avoid potential risks. Scientists should conduct more research on the viruses and bacteria hidden in the permafrost to assess the potential risks to humans and animals. The World Health Organization and other public health organizations should also be involved in this research to help determine the appropriate measures to take to prevent the spread of these viruses.
In addition, international policies should be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Governments should also take steps to protect permafrost areas and prevent the thawing of permafrost. For instance, building infrastructure to protect areas of permafrost, such as cooling systems, could help prevent the thawing of permafrost.
In conclusion, the discovery of "zombie" viruses in permafrost has raised concerns about potential public health threats. Thawing permafrost can release ancient viruses that can infect living beings, and humans and animals may lack immunity to them. The scientific community needs to conduct more research on these viruses and bacteria to assess the potential risks and determine preventive measures to protect public health. Governments should also take steps to protect permafrost areas and prevent the thawing of permafrost by implementing international policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.