Mumbai, November 30: Scientists recently revived an ancient virus that was found buried in frozen ice, and that one is now called the “zombie virus”. The new virus could pose a potential public health threat, fear experts. Reportedly, scientists from the French National Centre for Scientific Research found 13 ancient viruses frozen in Siberian permafrost or permanently frozen ground, sparking the fears of yet another pandemic. Zombie Virus Sparks Pandemic Fear! French Scientists Revive 48,500-Year-Old Pandoravirus Yedoma Buried Under Frozen Lake in Russia: Viral Study.

Zombie viruses could become public health threats as climate change leads to permafrost melting and releasing viruses that have been frozen for thousands of years. According to the study, global warming is causing vast swaths of permafrost to irreversibly thaw. This has had the alarming effect of “releasing organic matter including potentially harmful pathogens frozen for up to a million years. What Is Camel Flu? FIFA World Cup 2022 Fans in Qatar Vulnerable To Virus Deadlier Than Coronavirus, Know All About the Infection.

What Is 'Zombie Virus' Pandoravirus Yedoma?

Out of the 13 ancient viruses found in Siberian permafrost, the oldest of them is a 48,500-year-old amoeba virus - dubbed Pandoravirus Yedoma. The virus was named after Pandora’s box - an artifact in Greek mythology connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's poem. The Pandoravirus Yedoma was found in the bodies of permafrost-preserved mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, and prehistoric horses. 

Most of the Pandoravirus was discovered at the bottom of a lake in Yukechi Alas, Yakutia, Russia, others have been discovered everywhere from mammoth fur to Siberian wolf intestines.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 30, 2022 12:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).