Viral Spillover
The melting Arctic could soon become "fertile ground" for new viral pandemics to emerge, according to a Canadian study of an Arctic lake bed.
A team from the University of Toronto sequenced DNA and RNA from samples taken at Lake Hazen and looked at the family tree of its viruses to determine the threat they pose to other organisms as polar melt allows them to mingle. Altered landscapes have been proven to push pathogens, parasites and hosts together in new ways. The new study suggests that increased melting in the Arctic could similarly bring greater chances of of viruses “spilling over” into other hosts.
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