Will climate change generate new viruses? Or at least allow viruses to cross the species barrier? This is the question posed by Canadian scientists, who compared the natural barrier of a few years ago to that of our time. It shows that the risk of transmission of the virus between species is greater with global warming.
“It is very theoretical. It is a mathematical model that made it possible to calculate the risk of jumping for these species, which is greater during climate change”, confirms Nathalie Jacobs, professor of virology at Uliège. This can be seen particularly in Greenland, with new biological developments that may favor the emergence of these transmissions. “We observe the formation of algae on the Greenland ice sheet in the summer. A whole biology develops on this ice, because it is warm enough.”says Xavier Fettweis, a climatologist at the University of Liège.
In concrete terms, this offers new parasitic opportunities for viruses, whether they are transmitted by plants or animals. The virus can then see its DNA find a key to cross the biological barrier. But this does not represent an absolute danger. “We are always in a cloud of viruses and everything is fine. We are more at risk of new encounters between one virus and another. It is not only humans who are important. We can have a virus that infects a new plant with great consequences on the planet “says Nathalie Jacobs.
Do not panic, therefore: the risk is not yet well defined.
