The media reported on the possible release of ancient viruses from under the Arctic ice

The rapid melting of ice in the Arctic could trigger the emergence of "zombie viruses" that could lead to a new pandemic. This was reported on April 8 by the Daily Mail newspaper.

"The melting of permafrost can even lead to the release of ancient bacteria and viruses that have been frozen for thousands of years," the article says.

It clarifies that the main threat is the so-called Methuselah microbes. They can remain dormant in the soil and in the bodies of frozen animals for tens of thousands of years. Against the background of climate warming and melting permafrost, the risk of transmission of ancient diseases to humans is increasing.

As the newspaper points out, bacteria and viruses frozen in the Arctic thousands of years ago can still infect living organisms. It is noted that the risks are not limited to permafrost areas, as dormant pathogens can also be found in glaciers.

According to the material, when the ice and permafrost break down or melt, the microbes inside enter the environment. It is specified that many of them may turn out to be dangerous.

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On February 16, Rae Kwon Chung, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) on climate change, reported on people's unpreparedness for encountering viruses that can be found in ice and permafrost and released as they melt. He stressed that humanity does not even know which pathogens can be found under the planet's ice sheet.