Bacteria species found in glacial ice could pose disease risk as glaciers melt from global warming

Bob Yirka is a research scientist at Phys.org.

A group of researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found over a thousand species ofbacteria in snow and ice samples. As the glaciers melt, the group is concerned about the spread of disease as they collect and study thebacteria.

The researchers note that ice sheets and glaciers are the largest source of fresh water on the planet. Research shows that glaciers and ice sheets have been melting. The researchers wanted to know if the species ofbacteria in the snow and ice could make their way to other parts of the world as the glaciers begin to melt. They collected snow and ice samples from 21 glaciers in Tibet over a five year period. After being melted, they were tested to see what remained of the water. 98% of the unique species ofbacteria found were never seen before. The findings come on the heels of a study by another team that recently found several Viruses in ice that were 15,000 years old.

The problem with these types of organisms is that they can be passed on to other people. They could travel with the water as the snow and ice melted. Modern plants and animals don't have immunity to the older microbes, which could make them difficult to treat. Local epidemics and possibly Pandemics are possible.

melting snow and ice in Tibet feeds a number of rivers that lead to densely populated areas in China and India, which is where the researchers studied thebacteria. The work should begin immediately to find out if there is a threat.

More information: Yongqin Liu et al, A genome and gene catalog of glacier microbiomes, Nature Biotechnology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01367-2 Journal information: Nature Biotechnology

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