A heat wave in Siberia caused an anthrax outbreak in July, killing a 12 year old boy and causing a mass state of emergency.
The epidemic began earlier in the month when reindeer began dying at a rapid rate, which was originally blamed on the heat itself. However, the Yamal Peninsula, located in the Arctic Circle, has a thick layer of permafrost capable of preserving spores lingering in human and animal remains. Climate change has caused abnormal temperatures up to 95°F, high enough to thaw the frost and cause an outbreak unseen in the area since 1941.
“We literally fought for the life of each person, but the infection showed its cunning. It returned after 75 years and took the life of a child,” Yamal governor Dmitry Koblykin said to the Interfax news agency.
Anthrax itself is caused by a spore-forming bacterium, and is either transmitted by bites and stings, which can typically be treated with antibiotics, or by air, which is far more difficult to cure and can cause fatalities.
The source is suspected to be reindeer carcasses or a nearby cemetery, where bodies cannot be buried very deep because of the frozen ground.
In this region, anthrax is not the only disease that climate change could be revived. Smallpox, one of the deadliest diseases of all time, has the potential to survive years under the right conditions, and its antigen was detected in a mass grave in the 1980s. Smallpox is an extremely resilient disease, and its return is a definite possibility and huge threat to humans.
As the Arctic Circle and areas like Siberia become more accessible, more companies want to drill for natural resources. Disturbing layers of the Earth from the past further increases the chances of old diseases like smallpox becoming a modern issue.
"It is a recipe for disaster. If you start having industrial explorations, people will start to move around the deep permafrost layers. Through mining and drilling, those old layers will be penetrated and this is where the danger is coming from," Professor Jean-Michel Claverie said to BBC News.
It is unknown how many other historical diseases could become a threat. Anthrax and smallpox are known for being particularly vigorous, so it is possible that others were not able to survive quite as well.
This does not mean that disease spread is not still a consequence of climate change in other ways. In addition to old viruses in thawing permafrost, mosquitos and ticks thrive in warm temperatures and may increase the risk of illnesses such as malaria, zika, and lyme, thus contributing to the rapidly changing world of disease that scientists are already constantly adapting to.
“It’s an interesting question but I’m not sure it’s just related to climate change. We have emerging viruses and diseases all the time and they have to be on their toes for it. Clearly it’s just another variable that could bring about spread and disease,” NHS science teacher Mrs. McConnell said.
When the topic of climate change and the harm it can cause is brought up, many of the first issues that come to mind are natural disasters such as flooding and hurricanes, but the heating of the world can bring about a whole spectrum of calamity. “I never really think about it every day, how climate is warmer, but I guess it brings awareness to everybody else,” NHS senior Ashley Lynch said. Preparing for these troubles in advance could make all the difference when faced with a warmer Earth in the future.
Image Courtesy of pri.org