Scientists revive the “zombie” virus, it was “dead” for 48 thousand years. French professor: The risk of a pandemic exists
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Warming temperatures in the Arctic are melting the permafrost there, potentially releasing a variety of viruses that have lain dormant for tens of thousands of years that could threaten the health of humans and animals on Earth.
Although the outbreak of such a pandemic sounds like a science fiction movie scenario, researchers say the risk remains, albeit low. Chemical and radioactive waste that has been buried there since the Cold War also poses a danger.
"There's a lot going on down there, so it's important to keep these layers frozen as much as possible," says Kimberley Miner, a climate scientist at the California Institute of Technology.
The layer of frost, called permafrost, covers 20% of the Northern Hemisphere and extends from the...