A team of scientists has issued a warning about a potential new pandemic threat that could be unleashed by ancient viruses frozen in the Arctic permafrost. The Earth’s warming climate could release these long-dormant viruses, leading to a major disease outbreak, according to researchers.

The Methuselah microbes, also known as ‘zombie viruses,’ have already been isolated by scientists, raising concerns about the possibility of a global medical emergency caused by ancient diseases. To address this potential threat, scientists are planning an Arctic monitoring network to detect early cases of diseases caused by ancient micro-organisms. The network aims to provide quarantine and expert medical treatment to contain any potential outbreak and prevent infected individuals from leaving the region.

Geneticist Jean-Michel Claverie of Aix-Marseille University emphasized the need to shift the focus of pandemic threat analyses from diseases that might emerge in southern regions and spread north to potential outbreaks originating in the far north and traveling south. He highlighted the oversight in underestimating the risk posed by viruses in the Arctic that could infect humans and initiate a new disease outbreak.

Virologist Marion Koopmans of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam echoed the concerns, emphasizing the unknown risks associated with viruses preserved in the permafrost. Koopmans warned of the real possibility of triggering a disease outbreak, such as an ancient form of polio, and stressed the need to prepare for such scenarios.

In 2014, Claverie’s team isolated live viruses in Siberia, demonstrating their ability to infect single-cell organisms despite being buried in permafrost for thousands of years. Subsequent research confirmed the existence of several different viral strains, indicating the potential for ancient viruses to pose a significant threat to global health.