Permafrost as a potential pathogen reservoir
The Arctic is currently warming at unprecedented rates because of global climate change, resulting in thawing of large tracts of permafrost soil. A great challenge is understanding the implications of permafrost thaw on human health and the environment. Permafrost is a reservoir of mostly uncharacte...
| Published in: | One Earth |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1876982 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1876982 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2022.03.010 |
| Summary: | The Arctic is currently warming at unprecedented rates because of global climate change, resulting in thawing of large tracts of permafrost soil. A great challenge is understanding the implications of permafrost thaw on human health and the environment. Permafrost is a reservoir of mostly uncharacterized microorganisms and viruses, many of which could be viable. Given our limited knowledge of permafrost-resident microbes, we also lack the basis to judge whether they pose risks to humans, animals, and plants. In this review, we delve into features of permafrost as a microbial habitat and discuss what is known about the potential for microbial pathogens to emerge in a warming climate as permafrost thaws. This review has broader implications for human health and ecosystem sustainability in the new Arctic environment that will emerge from a thawed permafrost landscape. |
|---|