30,000-year-old giant virus 'comes back to life'

[Politically_Incorrect12]

An ancient virus has "come back to life" after lying dormant for at least 30,000 years, scientists say.

It was found frozen in a deep layer of the Siberian permafrost, but after it thawed it became infectious once again.

The French scientists say the contagion poses no danger to humans or animals, but other viruses could be unleashed as the ground becomes exposed.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Professor Jean-Michel Claverie, from the National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS) at the University of Aix-Marseille in France, said: "This is the first time we've seen a virus that's still infectious after this length of time."

Read more at: www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26387276

[happyhoix]

Wonderful! Frankenstein viruses coming back to life, and giant exploding holes where the Siberian permafrost is unfreezing and releasing methane. Just what you want blowing up in your gas drilling fields.

www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/26/the-siberian-crater-problem-is-more-widespread-and-scarier-than-anyone-thought/

Melting permafrost - must be a random fluke of nature, can't possibly be due to global warming...keep on walking, nothing to see here....

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Scientists warn that global warming could unleash potentially harmful viruses long buried in the snow

Paris (AFP) - Scientists said they will reanimate a 30,000-year-old giant virus unearthed in the frozen wastelands of Siberia, and warned climate change may awaken dangerous microscopic pathogens.

Reporting this week in the flagship journal of the US National Academy of Sciences, French researchers announced the discovery of Mollivirus sibericum, the fourth type of pre-historic virus found since 2003 -- and the second by this team.

Before waking it up, researchers will have to verify that the bug cannot cause animal or human disease.


Read more: www.businessinsider.com/afp-frankenvirus-emerges-from-siberias-frozen-wasteland-2015-9#ixzz3lGVvI0Oy