Microbes 40,000 Years Old Come Back to Life Under the Ice… Warning of a Potential Pandemic

In the heart of the Arctic, where ice has covered the land for thousands of years, American scientists have revealed a disturbing discovery that could threaten human life in the near future;

A research team from the University of Colorado Boulder has managed to revive microscopic microbes that had been dormant in permafrost for over 40,000 years, raising concerns about the possibility of a new pandemic.

Permafrost covers about a quarter of the land in the Northern Hemisphere, a frozen soil that hardens between rocks and ice. Inside a research tunnel in Alaska, known as the "ice cemetery," scientists extracted samples from these ancient layers and thawed them under controlled conditions.

The result? Those microbes began to wake up from their deep slumber after just a few months, regaining their activity, as new living colonies formed with slimy biofilms that are difficult to eliminate.

Dr. Tristan Karu, the study's author, confirmed that these organisms "are not dead at all," and that their awakening is accompanied by the release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which increases the pace of global warming and accelerates ice melting, multiplying the risk of environmental emissions.

the continuous melting of permafrost could release ancient viruses and bacteria that may be deadly, similar to the “Pandoravirus” that was revived in 2022 after being trapped in Siberian ice for 48,500 years, although it has not posed a direct threat to humans so far.

Scientists' warnings do not overlook the possibility of upcoming pandemics from these areas, especially from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as Dr. Brigitta Evingard, an infectious disease expert from Sweden, confirmed, noting that anthrax and human smallpox are realistic possibilities among the lurking dangers in the ice.

confirms that the phenomenon of ice melting does not only mean climatic changes, but represents a real threat to human health on a global level, as every layer that melts carries with it secrets and dangers from prehistory that may come back to haunt us again.