Climate Change Impact: Pathogenic Viruses Revived!

Scientists have grown wary these days as the recent changes in weather could have activated giant virus aging 30,000 years from the Siberian wastelands. Unearthed due to the climate change, these dangerous microscopic pathogens can be silent but deadly.

The US National Academy of Sciences reported this week that French researchers discovered Mollivirus sibericum recently. This is actually the fourth of its kind, pre-historic virus that was found by the team since 2003.

However, prior to re-animating it, the researchers will have to take a test to verify if the bug won't be causing any human or animal disease. The virus is identified as a giant virus as it is longer than half a micron - something that is around a thousandth of a millimeter (0.00002 inch).

The Mollivirus sibericum was named from soft virus from Siberia as it was discovered at Northeastern Russian permafrost. Climate change brought warming at the Arctic regions, which is abnormal for the global average. It seems that the permafrost is slowly disintegrating and a few viral particles which can be infectious, present in the permafrost can be revived and potentially harm people and bring pathogenic viruses.

In fact, the regions from where they are found have rich mineral and oil resources. Industrial exploitation makes these parts accessible and disintegration can even move faster. If the companies and the government are not careful with their exploration and industrialization, the risk of these viruses impacting people isn't too far from reality. Small pox which have been fully eradicated before can infect people.

Another giant virus Pithovirus sibericum was discovered in 2013 at the same location. They were able to revive the said virus in a petri dish. While most of those viruses circulating today are different from those that date from the Ice Age, scientists are more stunned by the fact that the recent discoveries show complex genetics and ancient specimens are abnormally bigger than the recent ones.

The Pandoravirus has 2500 genes while M. sibericum has 500. Influenza A, a known virus these days only has 8 genes. The Spanish flu that killed millions of people in the past, have been resurrected in 2004. They studied why it became so widespread and how it affected a lot of people.