
What types of viruses have been discovered?
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CALCIVIRUS
This is a marine-known virus, and it one of the most common viruses that is entrapped in layers of ice and permafrost. This strain, alongside some variants of the flu, enteroviruses and vector-borne diseases are single-stranded RNA. Particularly, they are non-segmented. This virus corresponds with a lot of upper-respiratory issues and infections. This is a very common virus amongst not only humans, but it all began with animals (specifically marine animals)
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INFLUENZA VIRUS
This is a virus that is more commonly studied, and are apparent to have devastating effects on marine life. That is then passed to human life, and life on land (animals, humans, insects, etc.). This can be spread through waterfowl, or food, and typically show up as asymptomatic in most bird species.
Influenza virus can survive up to days in a water environment, and can be frozen and preserved in ice forever
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ENTEROVIRUSES
These are small RNA viruses with resistant capsid shells and are there in order for it’s genome to be protected.
These are difficult because they aren’t very studied at the moment, however are also a marine virus that is entrapped within ice. That being said, with further climate changes and ice melting, this virus is more likely to be released
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VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES
The term Vector-Borne diseases comes from the fact that they are infectiously transmitted diseases that are transferred via a bug bite or a feeding from an infected animal or insect.
Some examples include:
- Malaria
-Dengue fever
- Yellow fever
- West Nile VIrus
- Lyme diseases
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Modes of Transfer:
A vector, or an insect /animal who is infected with the disease must bite or transfer the virus/disease to a healthy host, and that is where it spreads. It is the healthy body that the vector feeds off of, and continues multiplying it’s cells and affecting the body.s here
Calicivirus
(Legrand and Mayewski, 1997, 220)
Regions viruses are located:
Some of the most popular ice core research areas are located in Antarctica and Greenland.
This is where some of the longest ice cores are taken from - ranging from 1.5-2 miles ( ~3 kilometers)
Ice cores can date back to anywhere between 150,000 - 800,000 years ago
Ice is formed in these areas because of years and years of compacted snow, eventually turning into ice