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Scientists have discovered a new virus threat, which is now being called the zombie virus. According to experts, the virus has been trapped under a frozen lake in Russia for more than 50,000 years. This definitely brings up fears of a new pandemic, as global warming is causing large areas of the permafrost to thaw irreversibly.
The study on the virus states:
“The situation would be much more disastrous in the case of a plant, animal, or human diseases caused by the revival of an ancient unknown virus.”
The new research on the zombie virus was directed by Jean-Marie Alempic from the French National Center for Scientific Research. The study also revealed that there were 13 never-seen-before viruses that were laying dormant within the ice of tens of thousands of layers.
All we know about the zombie virus, originally known as Pandoravirus yedoma
It is certainly not the first time that researchers and scientists have discovered ancient diseases trapped under ice. However, the zombie virus, being roughly 48,500 years old, makes it the oldest of the viruses to be found in Siberia.
With this new discovery, scientists are now testing what impact the virus can have on public health. Scientists are also worried that the virus can be a worrying possible threat to the world.
Scientists elaborated and explained that as the permafrost melts and thaws, the ice releases chemicals and microbes that were trapped there thousands of years ago. Microbiologist Jean-Marie Alempic, who led the research for the zombie virus, stated:
“Due to climate warming, irreversibly thawing permafrost is releasing organic matter frozen for up to a million years, most of which decomposes into carbon dioxide and methane, further enhancing the greenhouse effect."
The researcher has also issued a warning to medical authorities about the lack of updates on “live” viruses in the permafrost over the last decade. It is also worth mentioning that this virus has been found in mammoth fur and in the intestines of a Siberian wolf.
The zombie virus found under the lake in Yukechi Alas in Yakutia, Russia, has not been the first one discovered recently. This has especially been a regular feature due to the effects of climate change and increasing global warming.
These revelations are so common that the same researcher discovered a 30,000-year-old zombie virus frozen in another permafrost in 2014. At the time, the researchers had confirmed that it could still infect creatures.
Meanwhile, as per scientists, experts, and researchers, the thawing of 13 new viruses is definitely a scare for mankind.
However, since the revelation is new, scientists are working closely to find out whether the virus can be deadly for humans or if it has the capability and capacity to bring the world to a halt due to another pandemic.
The risk is especially being evaluated as a similar anthrax outbreak in Siberia in 2016 resulted in the death of a kid and left many people in the hospital.
