Eh?!! BBC Virus story

[NorthernRaider]

So what was that about on the BBC radio 2 news at 8.30am, I quote
" Scientists report that a virus that has been extinct for 30,000 years has come back to life, The virus was found in Siberia, "" It does not pose a threat to humans"" "

How cryptic is that, if it does not pose a threat to humans what was the point of the news article, we already know virus's can survive for thousands of years in salt mines, deep caves and under permafrost???

[I-K-E]

I guess it's the first virus from that region of permafrost that has been "defrosted" and still viable or is it the fact that it's 30,000 years timescale?

made BBC breakfast news on the TV too

[River Song]

Wow - defrosted viruses. Any relation to defrosted pop-tarts :-)

[Tarrel]

Quote:Any relation to defrosted pop-tarts

What, like the ones we see on X-Factor on Saturday nights? ;-)

[Bucket]

The big virus isn't a threat to humans, but there's concerns about other things (bacteria/ viruses) in the permafrost around it could be.

It's not a problem to humans as it attaches to single cell things like amoebas, but humans and animals have thicker membranes that it can't get through.

[Straight Shooter]

Oh what ever happened to good old bird flu.....? Polio is making a come back....Ricketts to. WOW
That ought to divert your attention from holding down your part time job and your weekly trip to the food bank,and being told by an ex minister the inportance of morals and ethics.........oh hold on! ....the same minister who was bonking john major......yes its all coming back...do me a favour!

[Devonian]

More info here:

http://news.sky.com/story/1220597/virus-...s-in-frost

[Steve]

An ancient virus is potentially the most dangerous. Think of a virus that kills every human that contracts it, in ancient times, when travel was limited and slow, the virus would wipe the available hosts, and itself, out. Nowadays, it can be around the world in 12 hours.

[Oggydoggy100]

A bigger Viral threat especially here in the UK is the possible spread of Small Pox into an unprotected population. Anyone born after 1979 will not have been immunized against this virus-Variola major.
There are thought to be old Victorian Burial Crypts that contain the remains of numerous Small Pox victims. Given the fact that viable variola virus has been recovered from scabs up to 13 years after collection, it is conceivable that cadavers preserved in permafrost or dry crypts-Victorian practice of using hermetic sealed lead coffins-could release the virus.

I have worked in two London Crypts in which several cadvers that had Small Pox Scabs were found. Luck had it that the CDC in Atlanta determined that the virus was not viable.
Link below maybe of interest.
http://www.yclf.org.uk/download.php?docI...nline=true

[NorthernRaider]

Now a full week after the BBC launched the none story about harmless bacteria they media then releases this.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/a...tists.html