Are you maybe one of those people who aren’t too worried about climate change because you’ll be dead by the time things actually get serious? Then think again.

That’s because a group of scientists working in the Arctic have determined that as temperatures rise due to global warming, it becomes more likely that viruses and bacteria locked up in glaciers and permafrost could reawaken and infect local wildlife — and, potentially, be passed to humans — particularly as the animals’ range shifts closer to the poles as they seek consistent temperatures.

In fact, the first part of that process has already happened. …

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