Sébastien Le Belzic (correspondent in China) 06:15, 07 June 2023

Chinese scientists are worried about melting glaciers in the Himalayan mountain range. A phenomenon caused by global warming and which could release several thousand viruses and bacteria, some of which can be deadly for humans.

Will the melting ice in the Himalayas make the successor to Covid-19 appear? In any case, this is the fear of several Chinese scientists who are sounding the alarm. Because the phenomenon, attributable to climate change, could release several thousand viruses and bacteria that could prove deadly for humans. And thus provoke new pandemics.

A giant freezer

The researchers found a virus that is still highly pathogenic on an animal carcass in a glacier in the Himalayas. The next pandemic could therefore come from this melting ice if nothing is done to prevent it. "The only way to stop this would be to have a cooler climate than it is now, but that won't happen for a long time and it would take a lot of effort from the human race to get there," said epidemiologist Ted Scambos.

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At more than 6,500 meters above sea level, the ice of the Himalayas acts like a giant freezer that keeps an exceptional amount of microbes, bacteria and viruses cold. This ecosystem hasn't changed in tens of thousands of years, but global warming and melting ice are turning everything upside down. More than 4,000 viruses and bacteria have been identified on top of the world.