Polar bears are infected with dangerous bacteria, believed to be caused by melting polar ice.
“Global warming is causing viruses and pathogens that were previously frozen to come back to life. According to recent research, the blood of polar bears has been found to contain dangerous bacteria, which is believed to be a result of global warming melting the polar ice.
On October 23, 2024, the journal PLOS ONE, published by the Public Library of Science, reported the findings of a study on polar bears. It noted that as Arctic temperatures warm, polar bears face a higher risk of contracting viruses, bacteria, and parasites compared to 30 years ago.
The study involved examining blood samples from polar bears in the Chukchi Sea between 1987 and 1994, with research continuing from 2008 to 2017, totaling over 30 years of analysis.
The aim of the study was to examine the immune responses in the bears to six specific pathogens. However, researchers were shocked to find that a significant portion of the polar bears’ blood samples tested positive for viruses, bacteria, and parasites, with one in five bears being affected.
It remains unclear how these pathogens impact the health of the polar bears. Dr. Karyn Rode, a wildlife biologist from the United States Geological Survey, explained that the blood test results indicate that changes are occurring in the entire Arctic ecosystem.
The researchers tested for six different types of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites typically found in land animals, although they have previously been recorded in marine animals, including species that polar bears typically prey upon.
Dr. Karyn Rode shared that two parasites were found that cause toxoplasmosis and neosporosis, two types of bacteria responsible for rabbit fever and brucellosis, and a virus that causes gastroenteritis in dogs.
“Polar bears are generally resilient to diseases, but finding these pathogens in the Chukchi Sea suggests that something is changing in the Arctic Ocean,” she said.
This is highly concerning because the impacts of global warming are expected to intensify year after year. If this trend continues, pathogens that have been frozen in the ice could potentially cause large-scale outbreaks, threatening the health of animals in the region.
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