【翻譯】Virus Resurrected After Chilling in Siberia for 30,000 years

David Stout
March 4, 2014
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Experts say contagion does not present danger to humans or animals.

專家說這病毒不會感染人類或是動物而造成危險

French scientists are celebrating after successfully revitalizing an ancient virus that had been lying dormant for 30,000 years in Siberian permafrost, according to the BBC.

法國科學家在 BBC 上宣布, 他們成功復甦蟄伏 30000 年在西伯利亞永凍土的病毒.

The chances of "frozen viruses" reactivating is possible thanks to climate change, according to experts Frank Cezus / Getty Images

專家 Frank Cezus 指出, 冰凍病毒的復甦要歸功於氣候的變化.

Measuring 1.5 micrometers in length, the Pithovirus sibericum strain is the largest virus to ever be discovered.

測量出長度有 1.5 um, Pithovirus sibericum 品系是目前已發現最大的病毒.

“This is the first time we’ve seen a virus that’s still infectious after this length of time,” said Professor Jean-Michel Claverie, from the National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS) at the University of Aix-Marseille in France.

在法國 Aix-Marseille 大學的國家科學研究中心(CNRS)教授 Jean-Michel Claverie 指出, "這是我們第一次見到一個病毒在經過那麼長的時間仍具有感染性." 

Researchers say the contagion does not pose a danger to humans or animals; rather, it specializes in attacking single-cell amoebas.

研究員指出, 此病毒並不會對人類或是動物造成感染, 它只專門攻擊單細胞阿米巴原蟲.

“It comes into the cell, multiplies and finally kills the cell. It is able to kill the amoeba — but it won’t infect a human cell,” said CNRS’s Dr. Chantal Abergel.

國家科學研究中心(CNRS)的博士 Chantal Abergel 指出 "它鑽進細胞在裡面增值, 最終殺死細胞. 它可以殺死阿米巴原蟲 - 不過它不會感染人類細胞."

However, experts admit other potentially harmful viruses could reactivate and spread if more frozen ground becomes exposed from increasing global temperatures.

不過, 專家承認如果有更多的永凍土因為全球氣溫增加而暴露,  其他有傷害性的病毒可能復甦並散布開來.