A 48,500-year-old virus has been revived from Siberian permafrost

Can't sleep has been one of those nights, so perusing the internet, I came across this. They are actively searching out these viruses and "reviving" them but even the article just says "It is therefore legitimate to ponder the risk of ancient viral particles remaining infectious and getting back into circulation by the thawing of ancient permafrost layers" So now I'm pondering thier pondering about a mammoth Megavirus

Later on, in the article "Dr. Arwyn Edwards, co-author, and microbiologist, said, adding that "the risk is probably very small"

So why screw around with it at all, on a side note isn't Siberia in Russia?

Don't we have a war going on where we have been told that country's leader wants to take over the world?

www.ibtimes.com...

KEY POINTS
13 new viruses have been identified from Siberian permafrost
All 13 of them are different from each other genetically
The record-breaking virus, Pandoravirus yedoma, was found under a lake
No, this is not science fiction. Scientists have revived eons old 'zombie viruses' from the Siberian permafrost.

Out of the 13 new viruses that have been identified, the oldest is a 48,500-year-old amoeba virus, according to the findings posted by researchers in the pre-print server bioRxiv.

"48,500 years is a world record," Jean-Michel Claverie, co-author and a professor of genomics and bioinformatics at Aix-Marseille University's School of Medicine, told New Scientist.

Researchers warned it may just be the tip of the iceberg, adding that continued global warming will thaw the Siberian permafrost to reveal nastily pathogens from melting organic matter.

"One-quarter of the Northern Hemisphere is underlain by permanently frozen ground, referred to as permafrost," researchers wrote in the paper. "Due to climate warming, irreversibly thawing permafrost is releasing organic matter frozen for up to a million years, most of which decomposes into carbon dioxide and methane, further enhancing the greenhouse effect."

In contrast to the record-breaking virus, Pandoravirus yedoma, which was found under a lake, three other viruses were collected from 27,000-year-old samples of mammoth poop and mammoth wool. Honoring their origin, the scientists named the viruses Pithovirus mammoth, Pandoravirus mammoth, and Megavirus mammoth.

At the same time, two other viruses were separately isolated from the stomach of a Siberian wolf (Canis lupus). They have been aptly named Pacmanvirus lupus and Pandoravirus lupus, as per IFLScience.

All 13 of the viruses were different from each other genetically, the study confirmed.

"As unfortunately well documented by recent (and ongoing) pandemics, each new virus, even related to known families, almost always requires the development of highly specific medical responses, such as new antivirals or vaccines," authors of the study wrote. "It is therefore legitimate to ponder the risk of ancient viral particles remaining infectious and getting back into circulation by the thawing of ancient permafrost layers."

Virologist Eric Delwart, from the University of California in San Francisco, who was not a part of the study, affirmed his agreement with the authors.

"If the authors are indeed isolating live viruses from ancient permafrost, it is likely that the even smaller, simpler mammalian viruses would also survive frozen for eons," Delwart told New Scientist.

The same research team previously unearthed a 30,000-year-old virus from Siberia.

Meanwhile, a recent study warned that tonnes of bacteria hiding in the melting glaciers could be released into rivers and lakes as global warming continues unabated, BBC reported.

"The number of microbes released depends closely on how quickly the glaciers melt, and therefore how much we continue to warm the planet," Dr. Arwyn Edwards, co-author and microbiologist, said, adding that "the risk is probably very small, but it requires careful assessment."

I think the insects carry the most dangerous types of viruses in the world. Also I would think dirt carries many types of viruses also.

"the risk is probably very small"
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originally posted by: musicismagic
I think the insects carry the most dangerous types of viruses in the world. Also I would think dirt carries many types of viruses also.

It does. In 2002 I was bitten by a spider while I was sleeping at our cabin. The spider was carrying Antrax spores. Spent a week in the hospital for that one.

scientist nr 1: "oh look what I found, a sleeping zombie virus"
scientist nr 2: " wow, let's wake it up!"
scientist nr1: "best idea ever!!!"



they always say that the risk is minimal,
I don't see how they can know that when they are talking about completely unknown viruses?

How long would it take for these things to come out of the ice naturally? Are they talking 5 years? 20 years? 100 years? when would they begin to pose a possible risk for humanity and animal life?

So the viruses survived because the were frozen. When the ice melts and they are exposed to air, salt water and sun, they won't survive forever.
Unless of course some human apes collect them, multiply them and keep them around in populated areas...
Even then they may mostly be nothingburgers.
Unless of course some human apes start making them dangerous, all for your own good, so they can develop a vaccine...

Stop fiddling dumb apes.

Can I be the first to be vaxxed for it?

2nd.

originally posted by: slatesteam
Can I be the first to be vaxxed for it?

2nd.

No, I want to be. I'm in the Autumn of my Life.

I completely understand the desire to study these viruses for many reasons, especially if they are dormant and may make a comeback amidst climate change scenarios. However, the funding behind such research and government involvement makes me want to scream hell no. *Shrug*

Most virus are specific to a species, a few can cross species, but not many. More of an issue if you are a Mammoth bringing them back.

It does make one wonder what happened to be so well preserved for so long. Some cold front suddenly decided to come through and stick around for a few thousands of years.

Anything that old, then our DNA has already fought it and won. We are here now, it never went away either if we found it. We coexist and that is how Earth works. It is the "new" stuff or manufactured things that we have to worry about here.

originally posted by: Gothmog
"the risk is probably very small"
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Why are all these newly discovered, never seen by modern science, viruses not called or considered "novel" like COVID? Is it because they are so old they can't be "novel", or is it because the labs haven't given them the ability to infect humans yet? What about the natural route to infecting humans, got to be careful of eating infected mammoth meat at an Eskimo wet market in Siberia, right?

Not to worry, some GOF tweaking and we will have a dozen more "novel" viruses, new human pathogens to cause some more pandemics in a few months. It's all the rage in the science scene right now.

I'm starting to think scientists are a**holes. They screw around with stuff they shouldn't be screwing around with.

Leave the viruses where they are instead of asking for trouble.

a reply to: sine.nomine

They never just 'study'. The scientists and evil governments are really the ones behind all of man's massive deaths. It's like their whole mission in life is to see how dangerous they can manipulate our environment to be or how weak they can make our species. Be it drugs, disease or bombs. They suck, man.

"Pandoravirus yedoma"

Pandora? As in Pandora's Box? Let another round of baseless fear-mongering begin!

X-Files did this in the 'Ice' episode

en.wikipedia.org...(The_X-Files)

closing lines:
"It's still up there, Scully."
"Let it stay there, Mulder.

leave this stuff alone, kids.

"Don't touch that Billy, you don't know where it's been."

originally posted by: Gothmog
"the risk is probably very small"
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Pretty certain Faucci said that about Covid-19 also when they were creating it in labs across the globe. They will never learn until we are all gone

a reply to: putnam6

Wasn't this an X Files Story Back In the Day ? This Doom Porn Needs another Rewrite .

Put it back

Very interesting. Hopefully we can learn a lot from ancient viruses. It's really amazing how viruses can remain intact for many years. They are like little robots of destruction.