A warming world could unleash dangerous new pathogens. Metagenomics early warning tools are vital for pandemic prevention.

The world is experiencing a rapid rise in average global temperatures and climate change is increasingly recognized as a health security threat multiplier. Climate-induced changes in land use and global ecosystems are increasing the risk of emergence of novel zoonotic pathogens that can spill over from animals to humans. In the Arctic, global warming is causing the thawing of permafrost reported to be releasing biogeochemical hazards such as viruses, bacteria, anthropogenic chemicals, and nuclear wastes into the environment. Globalization also increases the risk that “time-traveling pathogens” stored for thousands of years in permafrost could potentially survive, spread to other regions of the world, and evolve over time.

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