Dear Label_Name,

Greetings! I hope you are well.

I am writing on behalf of an international publishing house, Science and Education Publishing, USA (http://www.sciepub.com).

Science and Education Publishing (SciEP) is a multidisciplinary open access publisher of Journals covering the fields of Science, Technology and Medicine. All SciEP publications are subject to high-quality peer review, editorial and production processes and are freely available online.

Welcome to the April, 2013 edition of SciEP newsletter, providing monthly summaries of articles on science & education related topics of interest to scientist and professionals. The mission of our journals is to provide an open access forum for publishing new findings on issues pertinent to scientific and academic field. We also invite you to submit original research papers, review articles, short reports, or case studies are considered for publication in our Multidisciplinary Journals.

American Journal of Public Health Research
DOI: 10.12691/ajphr-1-1-3

The Implementation of a Tele-Homecare System with Service Oriented Architecture and HL7 Message Transmission Standard
Ching-Sung Wang

American Journal of Medical and Biological Research
DOI: 10.12691/ajmbr-1-1-2

The Influence of Ethanol on Pyruvate Kinases Activity in Vivo, in Vitro, in Silico
Lelevich Sergey Vladimirovich, Khrustalev Vladislav Victorovich, Barkovsky Eugene Victorovich, Shedogubova Tatyana Aleksandrovna

American Journal of Medical Sciences and Medicine
DOI: 10.12691/ajmsm-1-1-1

Clinical and Histological Features in Wegener Granulomatosis
Li Cavoli Gioacchino, Passantino Rita, Bono Luisa, Tortorici Calogera, Ferrantelli Angelo, Giammarresi Carlo, Rotolo Ugo

American Journal of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
DOI: 10.12691/ajidm-1-1-2

The Curse of Lymphatic Filariasis: Would the Continual Use of Diethylcarbamazine Eliminate this Scourge in Papua New Guinea?
Anne Lanham, Lillian Mwanri

We have released issues of some journals on February 2013.
American Journal of Public Health Research
American Journal of Medical Sciences and Medicine
American Journal of Medical and Biological Research
American Journal of Pharmacological Sciences
American Journal of Clinical Medicine Research
American Journal of Nursing Research
American Journal of Cancer Prevention
American Journal of Medicine Studies
American Journal of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research
American Journal of Biomedical Research
American Journal of Mechanical Engineering
American Journal of Microbiological Research
Journal of Preventive Medicine
American Journal of Food and Nutrition
American Journal of Hypertension Research
American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine
Journal of Cancer Research and Treatment
American Journal of Zoological Research
Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology
American Journal of Microbiological Research
Biomedical Science and Engineering

We are pleased to announce that submissions are now being accepted for peer review for all the journals across all our subject areas in SciEP.

Please submit your manuscript via our online submission system:
http://www.sciepub.com/author/signin

To unsubscribe from our mailing list, please click on the following link: unsubscribe

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

David Rain
Email:join@sciepub.com
Science and Education Publishing (http://www.sciepub.com)

Permafrost Thawing: A New Potential Risk for the Human Health

Jeevan Jyoti Kaushik*, Atul Kaushik, Manjusha Tyagi

Department of Microbiology, School of Basic & Applied Sciences, Shri Guru Ram Rai University, West Patel Nagar Campus, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract: Globe temperature is increasing very fast in the Arctic comparatively elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere; Climate change is at its peak & alarming everyone about the melting permafrost which were frozen many years ago. The ice thaw is becoming a new source of microorganisms which were associated with previously died mammals due to infectious diseases, including the 1918 influenza pandemic, anthrax and smallpox. Scientist’s work and emerging new diseases through revived bacteria or viruses are ringing the alarm to pay the attention towards the permafrost & its thaw analysis. This draft will focus on the current state and attention required on permafrost thawing related to human health.

Keywords: climate change, emerging infections, pandemic, permafrost, thawing

Received March 18, 2023; Revised April 20, 2023; Accepted May 03, 2023

Citation: Jeevan Jyoti Kaushik, Atul Kaushik, Manjusha Tyagi, Permafrost Thawing: A New Potential Risk for the Human Health. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 11 (2). 54-55. January 2023. doi:10.12691/aees-11-2-2

1. Introduction

Permafrost is defined as a place or area on earth where temperature remains below zero for the continuous two years and it is a part of the cryosphere [1,2,3]. Permafrost covers the very large area of the globe especially Alaska, Canada, Russia, Antarctica and green land [4]. Other than this permafrost also identified in Kilimanjaro in Africa, High altitude area of the south America, Europe & Asia. It can be concluded that the permafrost are widely spread on the globe and it is a natural phenomenon [5,6]. Permafrost becomes the centre of attraction due to the climate change and the rising temperature of the globe which affects it. Researchers around the word started paying attention on thawing and emerging microorganisms as per the scientific hypothesis. As per the thawing and microorganism relationship, long latent microorganisms exposes from the dormancy due to the thawing process or permafrost degradation. Scientists also worried about the heavy metal contaminations and public health safety issues associated like epidemics & Pandemics. Many scientists also consider it as a potential risk for the human health. It is because of its public health concerns; it has gained attention from scientists, policy-makers, and the general public due to global warming, environmental degradation, water shortages, and emerging infections. As the thawing of permafrost is related to the Public health, multi-author, multi-country and multi-national cooperation is expected to address this issue.

2. Emerging New Biological Threat

Rising temperature of the earth & climate changes thawing the permafrost which spread out deadly gases viz methane and carbon dioxide. In recent diagnostic experiments, novel and ancient pathogens, viruses, bacteria and other parasites are emerging from the melted ice. These biological threats are the new potential risk for the public health and it must be taken as a major concern. These microorganisms are pathogenic and it is expected that ancient permafrost layers buried deeper in the ground will continue to be exposed and may release new pathogenic microorganisms.

Scientists discovered many microorganisms from the permafrost of various geographic locations like Russia, Sweden, Siberia and many more locations and proven it that permafrost are the sources of the pathogenic organisms like Pithovirus sibericum, Mollivirus sp, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus idriensis, Janibacter melonis & Achromobacter insolitus [7]. It is very much possible and even likely the revival of four viruses of amoeba from permafrost over 30,000 years old & outbreaks of anthrax in Siberia are major indications that melting permafrost and Arctic ice may be a source of re-emerging known pathogens and/or the revival of ancient yet unknown pathogens [8,9]. Certain of these pathogens may be serious public health threats, including ancient lethal variants of Yersinia pestis, the plague causing bacterium, influenza virus (e.g., Spanish Flu 1919 pandemic), and anthrax. Fragments of DNA and RNA from diseases such as smallpox, bubonic plague, as well as the 1918 influenza virus can be recovered from human and animal remains harbored in peri-Arctic and peri-Antarctic areas [9].

3. Ecology & Thawing

Thawing has a great impact on ecology & the surrounding environment near to the permafrost. Melting of ice is bringing changes on the hydrothermal regimes and affecting the vegetation, hydrological dynamics and soil geochemistry. Many articles have been published on the ecological impacts of permafrost thawing but still there is a great need of understanding the surrounding of the permafrost and its impact on dynamics of the ecology. Understanding the ecological impacts of permafrost degradation and their mechanisms is very important for proper simulation and more accurate forecasts of ecological successions and coupled C and N cycles in permafrost regions under a warming climate [10,11].

4. Taxonomic Diversity of Microbes in Thawing Permafrost or Developed Lakes

Climate factors can directly and indirectly impact disease transmission by changing human behaviors, vector ecology, or pathogen survival [3]. Significant numbers of viable microorganisms are known to be present within the permafrost, include those recovered from permafrost dating back millions of years [4].

4.1. Bacteria

Skidmore et.al [10] studied the microbial diversity of the permafrost lake or the melted ice water and identified the present Bacteria are heterotrophs (both aerobic and anaerobic) and fermenters, though autotrophs and lithoautotrophs, especially in the sub glacial environment. These findings are increasingly attracting attention of the researchers of the microbiology field. Gaidos et al. found indications of autotrophic activity in lake water and sediment in a sub glacial lake on Iceland [11].

4.2. Viruses

Viruses’ presence has been reported in cryoconite holes, water-filled cylindrical melt holes on the ice surface in Svalbard, Norway. Since viruses are the most copious members of aquatic microbial communities, they are found in all environments that anchorage microorganisms. Viruses play a major role in recycling nutrients and carbon. The presence of many viruses in a studied system is a sign of living and active microorganisms, since viruses need metabolizing microorganisms to infect and to be able to proliferate. In some references, viruses are reported asvirus-like particles (VLP) [12].

5. Conclusion

Permafrost and ice are thawing at higher latitudes and to a new record. Buried remains of infected animals in ice or permafrost are emerging and people have been exposed in various ways like flooding and soil disruption which is causing pathogen dispersal. Permafrost has been considered as a barrier to the contaminants from burial sites but as it melts contaminant soil become available for human life style and ecosystem.

References

[1]   | Mackay, J.R. Downward Water Movement into Frozen Ground, Western Arctic Coast, Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci. 1983, 20, 120-134.
[2]   | Zhou, Y.; Guo, D.; Qiu, G.; Cheng, G.; Li, S. Geocryology in China; Science Press: Beijing, China, 2000.
[3]   | Qin, D.; Yao, T.; Ding, Y.; Ren, J. Introduction to Cryospheric Science; Qin, D., Yao, T., Ding, Y., Ren, J., Eds.; Springer Geography;Springer: Singapore, 2021.
[4]   | Qin, D.; Yao, T.; Ding, Y.; Ren, J. Glossary of Cryospheric Science; Revised edition; China Meteorological Press: Beijing, China, 2016.
[5]   | Arenson, L.U.; Springman, S.M.; Sego, D.C. The Rheology of Frozen Soils. Appl. Rheol. 2007, 17, 1-14.
[6]   | Elias, S.A. Alaskan North Slope Coastal Tundra. In Imperiled: The Encyclopedia of Conservation; Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2022, 151-168.
[7]   | Chiappelli & Penhaskashi, Bioinformation. 2022, 18(9): 734-738.
[8]   | Kangbai, J., & Momoh, E. Anthropogenic climatic change risks a global anthrax outbreak: A short communication. J Trop Dis, 2017, 5(244), 2.
[9]   | Jin, X.Y., Jin, H.J., Iwahana, G., et al. Impacts of climate-induced permafrost degradation on vegetation: a review. Adv. Clim. Change Res. 2021, 12 (1) 29-47.
[10]   | Skidmore M, Anderson S P, Sharp M, Foght J, Lanoil B D. Comparison of microbial community compositions of two sub glacial environments reveals a possible role for microbes in chemical weathering processes, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2005, 71 no. 11, 6986-6997.
[11]   | Gaidos E, Lanoil B, Thorsteinsson T, Graham A, Skidmore M, Han S-K, Rust T, Popp B. A viable microbial community in a subglacial volcanic crater lake, Iceland, Astrobiology, 2004, 4. 3, 327-344.
[12]   | Säwström C, Granéli W, Laybourn-Parry J, Anesio A M. High viral infection rates in Antarctic and Arctic bacterioplankton, Environmental Microbiology, 2007, 9 250-255.