Ice as a reservoir for pathogenic human viruses: specifically, caliciviruses, influenza viruses, and enteroviruses.
Hundreds of isolates of viable bacteria and fungi have been recovered from ancient ice and permafrost. Evidence supports the hypothesis that viral pathogens also are preserved in ice repositories, such as glaciers, ice sheets, and lake ice. Proof may depend upon narrowing the search by applying specific criteria, which would target candidate viruses. Such criteria include viral pathogens likely to occur in great abundance, likely to be readily transported into ice, and then participate in ongoing disease cycles suggestive of their having been deposited in and subsequently released from ice. Caliciviruses, influenza A, and some enteroviruses appear to satisfy all three criteria. Environmental ice appears to be an important abiotic reservoir for pathogenic microbes. World health and eradication of specific pathogens could be affected by this huge reservoir.
Laboratory for Calicivirus Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
Alvin W
AW
Smith
Douglas E
DE
Skilling
John D
JD
Castello
Scott O
SO
Rogers
D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003081:Cold Climate; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D017753:Ecosystem; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007053:Ice; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014871:Water Microbiology
D007053:Ice