What could go wrong?

French scientists report they have revived a “zombie virus” from Siberian permafrost that is nearly 50,000 years old, a record age for a frozen virus returning to a state capable of infecting other organisms.

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The team behind the work, led by microbiologist Jean-Marie Alempic from the French National Centre for Scientific Research, says these reanimating viruses are potentially a significant threat to public health, and further study needs to be done to assess the danger that these infectious agents could pose as they awake from their icy slumber.

“One quarter of the Northern Hemisphere is underlain by permanently frozen ground, referred to as permafrost,” write the researchers in their paper. …

The premise of the research is that these viruses could be unleashed by “climate change.” Professor Jean-Michel Claverie, who led the study, warned medical authorities about the potential impact of newly revived viruses.

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