We all know that the global ice is melting due to global warming. But have you ever thought about what's hidden under these permafrost regions which is coming out? What if the coming-out stuff is not really dead? Just dormant and waiting to become active again? What would happen if giant viruses suddenly infect us? Which are lying dormant under the deep layers of permafrost for thousands of years, Viruses that we have never met before?
We may discover faster than you think, Climate change has melted frigid soil that has been frozen for thousands of years. This melting can trigger the dormant deadly giant viruses to come into action again. But why are they called GIANT VIRUSES? And what makes them so special?
Well, most of the viruses are small in size and contain four genes are so. But the story of giant viruses is totally different. They can be as big as bacteria. The genetic material of giant viruses is much more than the common viruses, anywhere from hundreds to thousands of genes.
And as permafrost melts, scientists are finding these giant viruses again and again. In 2014 Siberian scientists discovered a giant virus known as Pithovirus sibericum. After one year another giant virus known as Mollivirus sibericum was discovered in the same permafrost of Siberia where Pithovirus sibericum was discovered.
On further scientific investigation, it was found that Mollivirus sibericum had more than 500 genes, as compared to just 9 genes in HIV. Now you can easily understand why they are called giant viruses. These giant viruses are found 1,000 feet under earth in 30,000-year-old permafrost.
Shockingly, even after more than 30,000 years embedded in ancient permafrost, when scientists exposed amoebas in the lab to the virus, they found that the virus was still active and rapidly infected the host cell. But these are not the first cases of ancient viruses that were found frozen.
About 10 years later, researchers discovered the first Mimivirus which was a 1,200 gene specimen and was twice the size of the traditional viruses buried in the melting frost of the Russian tundra. Although, giant viruses are invisible to the naked eye but larger than many bacteria and some regular cells.
Giant viruses have not only a big number of genes but are also difficult to destroy compared to viruses that infect humans and animals. They are tougher and more resistant to environmental conditions.
Climate change is warming the extremely cold, icy areas of land and sea more than double the average global temperature, so permafrost is not permanent anymore. Furthermore, Global warming will not pose a direct threat by melting permafrost. Human activities, such as mining and oil drilling, may shake off ancient ice to make it possible for bacteria and viruses to come at the surface and that could spell disaster.
Climate change is warming the Arctic and sub-arctic regions at more than twice the average global temperature, which means that permafrost is not so permanent anymore. What's more, global warming does not have to directly melt permafrost to pose a threat. Human activities such as mining and oil drilling may shake up the ancient ice enough to bring potential pathogens to the surface and that could spell disaster.
Although there is no immediate threat from these viruses, there could be more pathogens hiding in there waiting to be released again. Let's hope for all our sakes that whatever we find does not wake up with retaliation.
In this article, I have tried to explain how climate change is posing threat to humanity and other organisms. So there is a possibility that giant viruses can reach us and infect us. So, it's time to minimize global warming.
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