Source: DTE
Context: The article discusses the potential risks associated with the release of ancient pathogens from melting ice in response to global warming.
- For example, recently a 30,000-year-old virus was revived from Siberian permafrost, and an anthrax outbreak was linked to the thawing of spores in western Siberia.
- The warming climate, particularly in colder regions like the Arctic, is accelerating the melting of ice, potentially releasing vast numbers of microorganisms, including ancient pathogens. However, the exact risk posed by these pathogens to modern ecosystems remains uncertain.
A new study published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology used simulations to estimate the ecological risks of releasing ancient pathogens. The results showed that just one percent of simulated releases of a single dormant pathogen could lead to significant environmental damage and widespread loss of host organisms worldwide.
- While the risk from a single pathogen might seem small, the sheer number of ancient microbes being released increases the overall danger.
- If these pathogens were to establish themselves in modern environments, they could become a potent driver of ecological change, potentially leading to species extinction.
Although the study did not model the potential risk to humans, there is a concern that these “time-travelling” pathogens could enter human populations through zoonotic pathways, similar to how viruses like SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, and HIV likely originated from animal hosts.
