Siberia: Scientists find viruses dormant for 48,000 years and raise alarm

Scientists from various universities in Europe have unraveled 13 viruses found in permafrost, a permanently frozen piece of land in Siberia, one of the coldest regions of the planet in Russia.

The work published on the BioRxiv preprint platform has not yet been peer-reviewed. In their study, the researchers warn that such studies are important because “due to climate warming, irreversible melting of permafrost releases frozen organic matter for up to a million years.”

The researchers emphasize that this organic matter may have originated from “viruses that have been dormant since prehistoric times.” According to the researchers, the 13 viruses belong to five different classes and are concentrated in seven locations. For example, some came from the excrement of mammoths and the stomachs of Siberian wolves.

From the collection of these pathogens, they were included in an amoeba culture. All work was done in the laboratory. Despite being frozen for 48,500 years, viruses multiplied. In other words, they can be contagious.

“Our results for viruses infecting Acanthamoeba [ameba] predictable to many other DNA viruses that can infect humans or animals. Therefore, ancient permafrost (ultimately more than 50,000 years old) is likely to release these unknown viruses after thawing.”

Increasing global warming and Arctic exploration could increase the resolution of prehistoric viruses, according to researchers. “The risk will likely increase in the context of global warming, where permafrost melting will continue to accelerate and more people will populate the Arctic following industrial developments,” the article states.

No risk of contamination

Although the scientists resolved the viruses, the researchers ensured that there was no risk of pathogens escaping the lab and infecting humans or animals.

“The biological risk associated with the resurgence of prehistoric viruses infecting amoebae is therefore completely negligible. [Inserí-los em amebas é a] The best possible protection against accidental infection of laboratory workers or the spread of a terrible virus,” the authors added.

Again, according to the study, some scientists are researching prehistoric viruses that can dissolve and infect humans. However, these studies are carried out in high biosecurity centers.