The discovery and "revival" of a contagious giant virus, which had been buried in the frozen subsoil of Siberia for 30 thousand years, prompts scientists to warn of the possible re-emergence of other viruses and microbes and the return of widespread diseases that threaten humanity, such as science fiction movie script.
Scientists from France και τη Ρωσία ανακάλυψαν το γιγαντοϊό σε δείγμα παγωμένου εδάφους από region at its northeastern end. Laboratory experiments subsequently proved that the virus was again capable of infecting amoebae - single-celled microorganisms - although it does not pose a threat to multi-celled organisms or to humans.
Although this particular virus is harmless to humans and animals, its "resurrection" is a warning signal about potential dangers that melting ice in remote areas could bring to light due to climate change, because ancient pathogenic viruses could become active again.
The unusual oval virus (1,5 length and 0,5 micrometer width) is 30% larger than the largest known virus, but also from certain bacteria, making it visible by optical microscope without the need for electronics, as is the case with other viruses . It has specific features and only a third of its proteins resemble the proteins of other known viruses, so scientists called it "Pithovirus sibericum", creating a new group.
The fact that giganteviruses usually affect unicellular organisms (although exceptions have been identified) cannot, according to the researchers, be a factor of complacency, since the prospect - either due to the rise of temperatureof the planet or due to mining activities in the Arctic for oil, gold, etc. - to "thaw" and other ancient viruses could really bring out or bring back old threats.
"The resurgence of viruses thought to have been eradicated, such as smallpox (whose propagation process is similar to that of pithovirus) should not be considered only theme science fiction," warns France's National Center for Scientific Research.
