Researchers Find 48,500-Year-Old 'Zombie Virus' In Russia's Siberia

A group of scientists from Russia, Germany, and France have said that they have found a 48,500-year-old 'zombie virus' in the Siberian permafrost in Russia.

In the preprint study published in bioRxiv, the scientists wrote that while global warming is thawing permafrost that covers a quarter of the northern hemisphere, more such viruses will be revived posing a threat to human beings.

The scientists said that they found "characterizations of 13 new viruses" from seven different ancient Siberian permafrost samples.

In the yet to peer-reviewed study, the scientists said it was important to ponder upon the risks of viruses being revived because of the thawing of permafrost.

"How long these viruses could remain infectious once exposed to outdoor conditions (UV light, oxygen, heat), and how likely they will be to encounter and infect a suitable host in the interval, is yet impossible to estimate," the researchers wrote.

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