Voices
in
Japan

poll

Do you think climate change could be a driver of infectious diseases by bringing long-dormant viruses back to life?

22 Comments
© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

22 Comments
Login to comment

Absolutely. There is more than just water in all that melting ice!

-2 ( +13 / -15 )

Overpopupation ,deforestation and carelessness are some causes according to me. One could find a link with climate change as well. But well, Earth's gonna change with human domination, could be good could go wrong. These things happen Trees will grow back again on top of that once we are done.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

I’d really like to hear the thoughts of the one who gave a thumbs down to my comment.

Because ancient microbes are in fact frozen in time in there.

Or is it just that JT infection of someone always having to disagree?

-6 ( +8 / -14 )

What a nonsense question; viruses aren't alive to start with, let alone can they be dormant.

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

viruses aren't alive to start with, let alone can they be dormant.

I think it's reasonable to describe them as dormant if they can potentially infect people when they thaw. Whether that will happen seems a subject of debate among scientists. While some viruses can survive for long periods of being frozen in ice, the chance of being infected by such a virus is not so clear. Some scientists have suggested that if possible, it would have happened already as various people actually drink water from melted ancient ice.

https://secretsoftheice.com/news/2017/03/09/virus-microbes-ice/

5 ( +9 / -4 )

No, on the basis that so far I have seen no evidence to support the contention. Further people have been exposed to melted ice water in many places without any effect. Agree with albaleo above.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

FYI, the last ice age didn't just sneak up on everyone and flash freeze everything. A slow freezing with kill a virus.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Its highly unlikely that if anything did survive the freezing, or remain viable, that it would somehow make it to humans after being thawed.

Because of that, I cannot agree that climate change could be a "driver" of infectious diseases in this manner. However, in the manner of increased amounts of rain, heat and other conditions not good for people but perhaps good for certain bacteria and viruses, it very well could be a driver of increased incidence of infectious disease.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Lab experiments are much more likely to be the driving force than climate change.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

The reality is that the vast majority of us should be answering "I don't know".

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Do I think? Could it be? Extreme heat and extreme cold weather patterns? Well, after imagining all kinds of scenarios, I cannot dismiss the idea, but it is not something I would normally consider.

As some have hinted above, I think human activity is more likely to expose and release trapped viruses.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

DirkAug. 24  03:29 pm JST What a nonsense question; viruses aren't alive to start with

What a nonsense response. If they aren't alive how are they able to mutate?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Do you think climate change could be a driver of infectious diseases by bringing long-dormant viruses back to life?

Globalization in general is the common pathway. Mosquitos bearing Nile Fever, the Gypsy Moth, the "Murder" Hornet, Zebra Mussels and the Solomon Island Brown Snakes are all examples of invasive species that didn't get where they are as pets.

New Zealand's natural landscape experienced almost wholesale transformation after European colonists started to take control of the islands. This has been going on for centuries.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/ecological-imperialism/8DDFF91CBE5BE025471C0E7622E16D1C

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Snow melting in Siberia can release god knows what from the soil.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It is not just the melting ice, it is also the deforestation that worsens climate change and at the same time brings old viruses out of what was before a dense forests/jungle as people able to enter those areas and bring the viruses out with them. Ebola being a perfect example, it came out of the forest due to logging.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Pukey2Today  07:18 am JST Snow melting in Siberia can release god knows what from the soil.

Actually, we don't need God's knowledge. What melting permafrost is releasing all around the Arctic is methane and CO2 that have been captured in frozen peat since the last ice age.

PaulToday  09:39 am JST Ebola being a perfect example, it came out of the forest due to logging.

No. The first human afflicted with it was either bitten by a bat or got it from eating bush meat. Whether there was logging in the area is immaterial.

https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html#:~:text=Scientists%20do%20not%20know%20where,being%20the%20most%20likely%20source.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I don't think the main concern is climate change bringing things back to life, but rather climate change altering the patterns of where species (including microscopic ones) can survive and thus increasing the likelihood that human populations will be exposed to things we haven't been exposed to before (like COVID 19) .

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I don't know. I also don't care. But it's a great way to combine 2 things to create more fear. I suspect we're going to hear a lot more on this subject in the future - climate change alarmists will love it.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

If you voted no then it's time to go back to school.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Good question. It's very possible. I'd need to see more research on the subject to know.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites