Health
‘Arctic zombie viruses’ could be released by climate change from thawing permafrost, some scientists claim
Some scientists are warning of the potential for “Arctic zombie viruses” in Siberia, according to reports.
The claim is that as climate change causes the Arctic permafrost to thaw, it will release ancient viruses that could put people at risk of disease.
National Geographic defines “permafrost” as “a permanently frozen layer below Earth’s surface [that] consists of soil, gravel and sand, usually bound together by ice.”
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Jean-Michel Claverie, PhD, a geneticist and an emeritus professor at the School of Medicine of Aix-Marseille University in the South of France, has conducted extensive research on Arctic zombie viruses, also referred to as “Methuselah microbes.”
In 2015, a research team unearthed several viruses from the permafrost, which were estimated to be 30,000 years old, as Claverie wrote in an article published by Think Global Health on Jan. 18.
Husband and wife virologists Jean-Michel Claverie, left, and Chantal Abergel are pictured in a laboratory at the Information Gnomic and Structural Center (IGS) of Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France, on Sept. 25, 2023. (Getty Images)
“It is now clear that a significant proportion of prehistorical viruses can remain infectious for even longer periods of time,” Claverie wrote.
After being stable for the last 400,000 years, the Siberian permafrost could become “threatened” due to global warming, according to the researcher.
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Thawing “increases the release and revival of permafrost microbes, including ancient ones from the late Pleistocene (i.e., the last 100,000 years),” Claverie wrote.
“Our species — hence, our immune system — has never been in contact with most of those microbes during its evolution.”
Permafrost, seen at the top of the cliff, melts into the Kolyma River, Siberia, Russia on July 6, 2019. The permafrost, some of which is tens of thousands of years old, is melting at a rapid rate and uncovering prehistoric bones and animals. (Getty Images)
Previous research has identified many different types of bacteria in permafrost that are linked to some common human pathogens, according to Claverie.
Those have included Acinetobacter, Bacillus anthracis, Brucella, Campylobacter, Clostridia, Mycoplasma, various Enterobacteria, Mycobacteria, Streptococci, Staphylococci and Rickettsia.
“Our species — hence, our immune system — has never been in contact with most of those microbes.”
While Claverie said we can “reasonably believe” that modern antibiotics could control many of these older pathogenic bacterium, he also said the situation would be “much more disastrous” in the case of an “ancient or unknown virus” being released from permafrost and causing animal or human diseases.
A member of the research team displays a visual on his phone in a laboratory at the Information Gnomic and Structural Center (IGS) of Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France, on Sept. 25, 2023. (Getty Images)
“As unfortunately well-demonstrated by the most recent pandemics (for example, COVID and AIDS), each new virus, even related to previously known families, requires the development of highly specific medical responses, such as new antivirals and vaccines,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Claverie requesting additional comment.
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Marion Koopmans, PhD, head of the Erasmus MC Department of Viroscience in the Netherlands, confirmed that there is documentation of hidden viruses that can still infect bacteria and unicellular organisms.
“That means the potential is there,” she told Fox News Digital via email. “You then would have to assume that viruses that may be able to infect humans or wild animals also could be present and at some point be released.”
Koopsmans added, “Given that, I think it is wise to think through where risk of exposure could be highest and monitor for health effects in those places.”
Virologist Jean-Michel Claverie is pictured at the Information Gnomic and Structural department of Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France, on Sept. 25, 2023. (Getty Images)
Edward Liu, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, acknowledged that permafrost viruses are a “valid concern, if long-disappeared viruses start circulating in a naive population.”
He also told Fox News Digital, “But so are zoonotic viruses (animal viruses), which spread to the human population when people and animals come into contact due to demand for wet markets, which was a possible source of COVID-19 in China.”
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Other potential sources include bush meat (African markets that allow exposure to animal viruses) or just human civilization pushing into wildlife areas, Liu added.
“In each case, a virus enters a naive population, so we have no herd immunity to slow it down,” he said.
To reduce the risk, Liu called for “cooperative internal research” into animal viruses and possibly permafrost viruses.
Other potential sources of novel viruses include wet markets, an expert noted. (iStock)
“When a new virus hits, scientists can then sequence the genetic material,” he said.
“MRNA vaccine technology is much faster at creating new vaccines than older technologies, which involved growing viruses and inactivating them,” Liu went on. “So we can make an effective vaccine in weeks rather than years.”
“In each case, a virus enters a naive population, so we have no herd immunity to slow it down.”
Liu also said we need systems that pick up new outbreaks faster — “so we can send experts to determine their cause before it spreads into an epidemic.”
He added, “Nations have to agree to allow access during outbreaks and avoid political interference.”
Husband and wife virologists Jean-Michel Claverie, right, and Chantal Abergel work on an X-ray diffraction device used to determine the 3D structure of viral proteins in a lab at the Information Gnomic and Structural Center (IGS) of Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France, Sept. 25, 2023. (Getty Images)
Dr. Christian Sandrock, who specializes in emerging infectious diseases at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California, also weighed in on the potential risk of frozen viruses.
“As climate change and other human-related issues occur, we are always exposed to new things,” he told Fox News Digital. “This has been happening for a long time. The real issue arises if these microbes can then become transmissible to humans and cause sustained transmission afterward that can lead to a pandemic.”
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“Right now, we are just discovering what is there,” he added.
“We need it to have sustained transmission for it to be really concerning.”
One expert called for “cooperative internal research” into animal viruses and possibly permafrost viruses. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, noted that while it’s possible that there are viruses in the melting permafrost that could cause sickness, there would likely need to be “several steps” that occur before they would spark a pandemic.
“They would likely have to go through many changes to adapt to or spread among modern hosts,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Much more concerning is the close contact with animals and humans in Asia, which can and does lead to zoonotic spillover to humans,” said Siegel.
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A deadly, drug-resistant fungus already spreading rapidly through U.S. hospitals is becoming even more threatening worldwide, though there may be hope for new treatments, according to a new scientific review.
Candida auris (C. auris), often described as a “superbug fungus,” is spreading globally and increasingly resisting human immune systems, Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) researchers said in a review published in early December.
The findings reinforce prior CDC warnings that have labeled C. auris an “urgent antimicrobial threat” — the first fungal pathogen to receive that designation — as U.S. cases have surged, particularly in hospitals and long-term care centers.
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Approximately 7,000 cases were identified across dozens of U.S. states in 2025, according to the CDC, and it has reportedly been identified in at least 60 countries.
Candida auris is a drug-resistant fungus spreading in hospitals worldwide. (Nicolas Armer/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
The review, published in Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, helps explain why the pathogen is so difficult to contain and warns that outdated diagnostics and limited treatments lag behind. It was conducted by Dr. Neeraj Chauhan of the Hackensack Meridian CDI in New Jersey, Dr. Anuradha Chowdhary of the University of Delhi’s Medical Mycology Unit and Dr. Michail Lionakis, chief of the clinical mycology program at the National Institutes of Health.
Their findings stress the need to develop “novel antifungal agents with broad-spectrum activity against human fungal pathogens, to improve diagnostic tests and to develop immune- and vaccine-based adjunct modalities for the treatment of high-risk patients,” the researchers said in a statement.
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“In addition, future efforts should focus on raising awareness about fungal disease through developing better surveillance mechanisms, especially in resource-poor countries,” they added. “All these developments should help improve the outcomes and prognosis of patients afflicted by opportunistic fungal infections.”
Candida auris can survive on skin and hospital surfaces, allowing it to spread easily. (iStock)
First identified in 2009 from a patient’s ear sample in Japan, C. auris has since spread to dozens of countries, including the U.S., where outbreaks have forced some hospital intensive care units to shut down, according to the researchers.
The fungus poses the greatest risk to people who are already critically ill, particularly those on ventilators or with weakened immune systems. Once infected, about half of patients may die, according to some estimates.
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Unlike many other fungi, C. auris can survive on human skin and cling to hospital surfaces and medical equipment, allowing it to spread easily in healthcare settings.
“It is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, and it tends to spread in hospital settings, including on equipment being used on immunocompromised and semi-immunocompromised patients, such as ventilators and catheters,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone, previously told Fox News Digital.
Scientists say the unique cell wall structure of C. auris makes it harder to kill. (iStock)
It is also frequently misdiagnosed, delaying treatment and infection control measures.
“Unfortunately, symptoms such as fever, chills and aches may be ubiquitous, and it can be mistaken for other infections,” Siegel said.
In September, he said intense research was ongoing to develop new treatments.
Only four major classes of antifungal drugs are currently available, and C. auris has already shown resistance to many of them. While three new antifungal drugs have been approved or are in late-stage trials, researchers warn that drug development has struggled to keep pace with the fungus’s evolution.
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Despite the sobering findings, there is still room for cautious optimism.
The fungus can cling to skin and hospital surfaces, aiding its spread. (iStock)
In separate research published in December, scientists at the University of Exeter in England discovered a potential weakness in C. auris while studying the fungus in a living-host model.
The team found that, during infection, the fungus activates specific genes to scavenge iron, a nutrient it needs to survive, according to their paper, published in the Nature portfolio journal Communications Biology in December.
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Because iron is essential for the pathogen, researchers believe drugs that block this process could eventually stop infections or even allow existing medications to be repurposed.
“We think our research may have revealed an Achilles’ heel in this lethal pathogen during active infection,” Dr. Hugh Gifford, a clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter and co-author of the study, said in a statement.
New research is underway to develop better treatments and diagnostics for C. auris. (iStock)
As researchers race to better understand the fungus, officials warn that strict infection control, rapid detection and continued investment in new treatments remain critical.
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Health experts emphasize that C. auris is not a threat to healthy people.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the CDI researchers and additional experts for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Angelica Stabile contributed reporting.
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The New York State Department of Health reported a record surge in influenza activity, with 71,123 positive flu cases recorded statewide during the week ending December 20.
Health officials said the figure represents the highest number of flu cases ever reported in a single week since influenza became a reportable disease in New York in 2004.
State health data show the weekly total reflects a 38% increase from the previous reporting period, signaling a rapidly intensifying flu season.
There have been 189,312 reported positive flu cases so far this season, while influenza-related hospitalizations rose 63% in the most recent week.
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New York reported the highest weekly total of cases ever recorded since influenza became reportable in 2004. (iStock)
“We are seeing the highest number of flu cases ever recorded in a single week in New York state,” Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a press release.
There have been 189,312 reported flu cases so far this season, with influenza-related hospitalizations increasing 63% in the most recent week. (iStock)
Earlier this month, the department declared influenza prevalent statewide, a designation that requires unvaccinated health care workers to wear masks in patient care settings.
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Health officials continue to emphasize that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent severe illness and hospitalization from influenza.
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New Yorkers who have not yet received a seasonal flu shot are still encouraged to do so, with experts saying vaccination can offer protection even later in the season.
Health officials continue to urge New Yorkers to take preventive steps, including vaccination and staying home when sick, to limit further spread. (iStock)
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To help limit further spread, the department advises individuals experiencing flu-like symptoms — including fever, cough, sore throat, or body aches — to stay home. State health officials also recommend frequent handwashing, using hand sanitizer, and avoiding close contact with sick individuals.
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For those who become ill, officials say antiviral medications are available and are most effective when started within 48 hours of symptom onset.
Health officials also added that people at higher risk for complications should contact a health care provider promptly for evaluation and possible treatment.
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The department noted that flu activity typically peaks in January, meaning case counts could continue to climb in the weeks ahead.
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