The current global warming situation remains concerning, and there is a growing trend that it will continue to worsen. It is expected that the ongoing global warming problem will lead to the resurgence of severe “pandemics.”
Research and discoveries of viruses from the past to the present show that many viruses are buried deep beneath ice, with some viruses being over 15,000 years old.
In 2022, research revealed that the next potential global pandemic may not come from bats or poultry, but could be a result of melting ice. After scientists analyzed soil and sediment from Lake Hazen, the world’s largest Arctic freshwater lake, they found that the risk of viruses embedded in the ice spreading to new hosts—whether animals or humans—was increasing. This was due to rising global temperatures caused by climate change. Viruses and bacteria trapped in the ice could melt with the water, and local wildlife could become infected. The higher the global temperature, the greater the risk of virus and bacteria transmission.
This viral and bacterial outbreak due to melting ice has occurred before. In 2016, an anthrax outbreak in northern Siberia caused the death of one child, and at least seven others were infected. The outbreak resulted from a heatwave that caused permafrost to thaw, which uncovered the remains of reindeer that had anthrax, leading to the spread of the disease. The last outbreak of this disease occurred in 1941.
In addition, in Tibet, more than 28 ancient virus species were discovered to be embedded in ice for over 15,000 years. Scientists from the United States traveled to Tibet to explore the oldest ice cores and discovered 33 types of viruses, 28 of which had never been seen before. This suggests that these ancient viruses can survive in ice for tens of thousands of years.
Most recently, 1,700 virus species were found frozen beneath the Guliya Glacier in Tibet, which is located more than 6,000 meters above sea level. Scientists took a 12-meter ice core back to their laboratory for analysis and found that the ice core contained 1,705 virus strains, the oldest of which was 41,000 years old, and the youngest was 160 years old. Three out of four of these viruses were previously unknown.
The discovery of so many different types of viruses is highly concerning. If the ice melts, these viruses will be released into the water, potentially spreading diseases that could be even more severe. As some of these viruses have never been identified before, there is a real possibility that the world may face many more unknown viruses in the future if temperatures continue to rise.
Reference