OT - but not really

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Scientists fear epidemics from prehistoric viruses September 2, 1999 Web posted at: 1:13 PM EDT (1713 GMT)

LONDON (Reuters) -- Deadly prehistoric viruses may be frozen beneath the polar ice caps and could unleash epidemics if they are released into the atmosphere, researchers told the latest New Scientist magazine, published Wednesday.

Scientists at Syracuse University in New York found a plant virus in the Greenland icepack which led them to believe that strains of influenza, polio and smallpox could be buried in icy tombs that could be opened by a warm spell.

"We don't know the survival rate, or how often they get back into the environment. But it certainly is possible," Tom Starmer told the magazine.

The researchers found the tomato mosaic tobamovirus (ToMV) while examining four cores extracted from the Greenland ice containing material between 500 and 140,000 years old.

Although they are not sure, they suspect strains of the frozen viruses they found are still infectious because of strong protein coats which allow them to survive in harsh environments.

"If you've got these things lying in the ice for a thousand years or more and their usual host has not had to deal with them, this may be a source of epidemics," said Alvin Smith, a virologist at Oregon State University.

-- Trollyanna (r@t.com), September 02, 1999

Answers

Anyone remember John Campbelll's story "Who Goes There" way back when in Astounding?

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), September 03, 1999.

Tom,

I do remember that it was the basis for the movie "The Thing". Was the original story significantly different from the movie?

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja.com), September 03, 1999.


Scary thing is that these are *old* viruses, presumably with non-compliant genetic code. Sheesh, anything could happen if these get loose.

-- j (j@k.lmn), September 04, 1999.

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