Zombie virus revitalized from permafrost: Facts and fiction

Dear Editor,

The term “zombie virus” refers to viruses that have been inactive for a long time. Scientists believe that zombie viruses could cause serious diseases. The “Zombie virus discovered in Russian ice” sounds like something out of a horror film, but it is difficult to be surprised following the pandemic. Scientists have resurrected viruses dormant for tens of millions of years in Siberian permafrost [1] (see Table 1).

Table 1.

History, types, and global distribution of the Zombie virus.

Virus	Zombie apocalypse
Found region	Frozen lake in Russia
Old	48,500 years
Taste	Lime & Blueberry
Type	Parasite Zombie
Scientific name	Pandoravirus yedoma
Types	walkers, Zed, Zs, biters, geeks, stiffs, roamers, Zeke, ghouls, rotters, Zoms, and runners
Species reported	13
Country	Russia, France and Germany
Global warming	revival of the Zombie Virus

The invisible pathogen represents the unknown in infectious disease fiction, living close to us yet beyond our senses. The host transmits the disease, and symptoms arise later. The infection of a little Gothic presence can be shown metaphorically and macroscopically in zombies; traditionally, the ghost, the undead (the vampire), and the “strange creature” have served as springboards for investigating the mysterious. As zombie hordes rage, internal host harm is externalised and patterns of contagion among communities are revealed. The zombie highlights the disaster, allowing us to track the virus's spread [2].

To put it another way, the zombie is an “allegory of communicable disease.” Zombies serve as stand-ins for the sick or diseases in their horde-like organization (the infection). The zombie arithmetic outbreak has been used to teach infection patterns and containment measures.

The zombie virus infection is spread by biting into contaminated tissue through broken skin and transplantation to human beings. Other similarities include the rabies virus, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, CMV, herpes virus, and HIV. Thirteen new pathogens, called zombie viruses, remained infectious after millennia of freezing. The virus emerged as a result of permafrost thawing. The new strain has one of 13 viral genomes. Pandoravirus yedoma, 48,500 years old, is the longest frozen virus to become infectious. It is older than the 30,000-year-old virus identified in Siberia in 2013 [3,4].

It is unknown how long these viruses will remain infectious if exposed to outside environments and whether they will find a host in the interim. The risk will increase when the permafrost thaws and more people migrate to the Arctic due to industrialisation. One-quarter of the Northern Hemisphere is permanently frozen, known as permafrost. Permafrost releases organic material, million-year-old ice, which breaks down into carbon dioxide and methane, increasing the greenhouse effect. Resurrected prokaryotes, unicellular eukaryotes, and viruses from prehistoric times are examples of organic matter. Potential Impact: After researching living cultures, it was discovered that all “zombie viruses” may propagate, making them a “health danger.” As long-dormant viruses such as the microbial Captain America are liberated by melting permafrost, pandemics are expected to become more common. Scientists fear that “resurgent” viruses and other microorganisms released in the future when permafrost melts could pose a risk to people. Greenpeace has expressed concern that “resurrected” pathogens could spark a pandemic. The discoveries are reminiscent of the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park, in which scientists used DNA from insects encased in amber to clone dinosaurs. The permafrost, which covers about a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere, is thawing as the climate warms. Other research institutions focus on diseases such as germs and larger organisms. Last year, researchers discovered 15,000-year-old viruses under a Tibetan ice cap. Microscopic nematode worms were recovered in 2018 from frozen Siberian soil samples for 42,000 years. The researchers were clear: The animals that moved and ate after being housed at 20 °C in nutrient-rich Petri dishes were not contaminated samples. Birgitta Evengard of Sweden's Umea University is concerned about permafrost illness. Prof. Evengard assisted in the planning of a 2019 meeting on the global health security threats posed by Arctic microorganisms. She went on to say that it was impossible to anticipate whether microorganisms found in thawing permafrost would harm people. “It is Pandora's box; they might be human infections,” she explained. “There will be environmental consequences.” Three rivers in Siberia discharge permafrost material into the Bering Sea, causing chaotic ocean currents. They travel the world in two weeks. All ecosystems, oceans, land and air—are inextricably linked. Prof. Evengard found it concerning that the Arctic has warmed four times faster than the rest of the world since 1979. “What happens in the Arctic impacts everywhere [4]".

She stated that scientists must access Siberia to investigate what is happening. Thawing permafrost threatens to exacerbate climate change and introduce viruses into the ecosystem. These microbes consume organic matter in the soil when it thaws, emitting carbon dioxide and methane. Zombie viruses can slumber on ice for years before resurfacing when the ice melts. Researchers unfroze a latent amoeba virus that has evolved into a zombie virus after 48,500 years. Glaciers and permafrost are melting quickly as global warming becomes a significant issue, releasing microorganisms that have been frozen for years. Melted ice has awakened zombie viruses that had been dormant for years due to being imprisoned in ice. Researchers successfully unfroze a 48,500-year-old latent amoeba virus. According to studies, ancient frozen viruses that resurface after years can endanger public health. Every type of zombie virus poses a massive threat because it can infect a human being and result in a fatal infection. The zombie virus was found alongside wolf organs and mammoth wool by researchers. One-fourth of the landmass in the Northern Hemisphere is covered in permafrost, which is home to viruses and bacteria that have been frozen solid. The permafrost permanently thaws, releasing frozen biological material. Organic matter decomposes, releasing methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere [5].

Symptoms and epidemiology of emerging infectious zombies are based on real diseases. We refer to the zombie tale phenomenon as “growing infectious types of literature,” which is analogous to “emerging infectious diseases.” Some of the most recent viral works of literature are horrific, while others are science fiction or thrillers. The transmission and pathogenicity rates of influenza have been used to construct post-apocalyptic scenarios. After researching live cultures, specialists concluded that all “Zombie viruses” are communicable and pose a “health risk".

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Handling Editor: Patricia Schlagenhauf