Researchers studying ice cores from Tibetan glaciers found nearly 1,000 distinct new species of microorganisms dating back 15,000 years. Previous studies have found ancient microorganisms frozen in ice can still be infectious, raising concerns about potential new diseases caused by melting glaciers. s glaciers all over the world are melting at an alarming rate, the released microbes could travel with the meltwater into rivers and streams and reach populated areas, infecting plants, animals and people. The glaciers in Tibet feed several rivers that lead to densely populated regions of China and India. Click below for the original scientific study about the Tibetan glaciers published in the journal Microbiome in 2021, from lead author and microbiologist Zhi-Ping Zhong. And here for an article from Forbes, further elaborating this new type of risk.
