The world may be threatened by outbreaks of previously unknown diseases

Due to the melting of permafrost, humanity may face a new outbreak of anthrax and other diseases currently unknown to science. American evolutionary biologist Scott Travers from Rutgers University issued this alarming warning.

In his publication for Forbes, the scientist revealed a shocking truth: about 15% of the Northern Hemisphere is covered by a real "biological time capsule" of ice. In this natural cryochamber, not only organic substances and greenhouse gases have been locked for millennia, but also something much more sinister – dormant microbes, including bacteria and viruses that modern humanity has never encountered.

Permafrost, which had remained stable for thousands of years, is now melting at a frightening rate, opening these microbial repositories of the prehistoric world. Travers emphasizes that permafrost serves as the natural foundation of the Arctic, providing structural integrity to landscapes that might otherwise collapse. When it remains frozen, the ecosystem above it functions normally. But when unpredictable thawing occurs, the consequences can be catastrophic.

The influence of permafrost extends far beyond Arctic wildlife – it plays a critically important role in the global climate system. It has preserved twice as much carbon as is currently contained in the atmosphere. A dangerous vicious cycle emerges: melting permafrost leads to carbon emissions, which further intensifies global warming.

But the most alarming threat lurking in the permafrost is microscopic in size and potentially deadly in nature, the biologist warns.

In the summer of 2016, on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia, an unexpected outbreak of anthrax occurred, resulting in several people being hospitalized and a 12-year-old boy dying. The epidemic also destroyed the local reindeer population: more than 2,300 animals fell victim to this disease.

The thaw exposed the carcass of a reindeer that had died from anthrax decades ago, leading to the release of dormant Bacillus anthracis spores. However, that outbreak, according to the scientist, was just a "dress rehearsal" for upcoming events.

"Anthrax is a modern pathogen, already known to scientists and present in the region. The last recorded outbreak in this region occurred just 75 years ago, meaning the bacteria were frozen for only a relatively short period of time. But what about pathogens that have been trapped for millions of years? Unlike anthrax, which modern medicine can treat, ancient diseases with which the animal world has not encountered for a long time may be locked in permafrost. Some of them may be remnants of past pandemics, while others may belong to completely extinct ecosystems, making their behavior unpredictable in the modern world," Travers warns.

Scientists have already successfully revived 30,000-year-old viruses from Siberian permafrost – those that retained the ability to infect amoebas. Although viruses dangerous to humans have not yet been found in a viable state, the very fact of ancient microbes being preserved causes serious concern: what other invisible threats are hiding in the depths of the permafrost, waiting for their time?

The revival of ancient microbes represents a real Pandora's box. Permafrost contains predominantly unstudied microorganisms and viruses, many of which may remain viable. The truth is that science does not yet know whether these microbes pose a real threat to the health of humans, animals, or plants – or whether they will simply dissolve into the environment without causing harm.