As of now, there are no reported human infections linked to viruses found in Siberian permafrost. While these samples may contain agents with infectious potential, scientists have not identified any viruses that pose an immediate threat to people. This assessment comes from virologist Alexey Agranovsky in a discussion with Public News Service.
Earlier, The Guardian suggested that humanity could face a new epidemic from permafrost-locked viruses. In laboratory work, thawed viruses have shown the ability to infect single-celled organisms, yet there is no evidence of a risk to human health from such findings at this time.
”No human or animal infections have been recorded,” Agranovsky notes. He adds that while some samples contain viruses capable of reproducing in amoebae and DNA fragments related to herpesviruses and smallpox viruses, this does not imply an imminent danger to people.
Experts acknowledge the possibility that permafrost may harbour infectious agents not yet identified. Ongoing monitoring and research are essential to understand these risks fully and to guide any protective measures that might be needed in the future.
Scientists warn that climate warming could release ancient microbes from ice, potentially leading to new outbreaks with unknown disease profiles. To address this, there is emphasis on establishing Arctic surveillance networks capable of detecting disease signals linked to ancient microorganisms and environmental change.
Recent coverage also noted a separate, unrelated idea—Russia’s plans to develop a lodging concept on Arctic rock formations—distinguishing speculative projects from scientifically grounded health risk assessments.