×

UPSC Courses

DNA banner

DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 06 December, 2022

  • 5 Min Read

Zombie Virus

Zombie Virus

  • Recently, French scientists warned of the possibility of another outbreak after resurrecting a 48,500-year-old zombie virus buried beneath a frozen lake in Russia.
  • This has surpassed the previous record of a 30,000-year-old virus discovered in Siberia by the same team in 2013.

About Zombie Virus:

  • A zombie virus is a virus that has become dormant due to being frozen in ice.
  • The virus emerged as a result of permafrost thawing as global temperatures rise.
  • It is a collection of viruses that have lain dormant for thousands of years.
  • Pandoravirus yedoma, named after the mythological character Pandora, is 48,500 years old and has the ability to infect other organisms.
  • It was discovered beneath the water's surface in Yukechi Alas, Yakutia, Russia.

What could be the source of the problem?

  • Permafrost, which is permanently frozen ground, covers one-quarter of the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Because of climate change, irreversibly thawing permafrost is releasing organic matter that has been frozen for up to a million years, the majority of which decomposes into carbon dioxide and methane, exacerbating the greenhouse effect.
  • This organic matter also includes revived cellular microbes (prokaryotes, unicellular eukaryotes) and viruses that have been dormant since prehistoric times.

Is the virus capable of causing harm?

  • All zombie viruses have the potential to be contagious and thus pose a health risk.
  • It is believed that pandemics like Covid-19 will become more common in the future as melting permafrost releases long-dormant viruses.

Source: Down To Earth


Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana

Recently, Prime Minister announced Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana under which 1 crore households will get rooftop solar power systems. India’s Status of Current Solar Capacity India currently stands at 4th place globally in solar power capacity. As per Ministry of New an

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)- NGO 

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) registration of two prominent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) — Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and World Vision India (WVI) have been cancelled this month. What is FCRA? Key provisions of FCRA, 2010 Key aspects Description

Voice clone-AI

Voice clone fraud has been on the rise in India. AI voice cloning – It is the process of creating a synthetic replica of a person’s voice through machine learning and speech synthesis technology.It is called as voice deepfakesor audio deepfakes. Objective – To achieve a high level of na

Science communication- how to promote

Steps taken by India to promote Science Communication Publications and Information Directorate (PID) - An organisation under Council of Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) established in 1951 for publishing and disseminating scientific information in India. National science magazines- The PI

Universal Basic Income (UBI)- Analysis

Universal Basic Income (UBI) can strengthen welfare architecture and unlock the nation’s latent demographic potential. UBI - It is an income support mechanism typically intended to reach all or a very large portion of the population regardless of their earnings or employment status. Objective- To provide enough to co

Toppers

Search By Date

Newsletter Subscription
SMS Alerts

Important Links

UPSC GS Mains Crash Course - RAW Prelims Answer Key 2024