Thawing of permafrost may disturb historic cattle burial grounds in East Siberia

Abstract

Climate warming in the Arctic may increase the risk of zoonoses due to expansion of vector habitats, improved chances of vector survival during winter, and permafrost degradation. Monitoring of soil temperatures at Siberian cryology control stations since 1970 has showed correlations between air temperatures and the depth of permafrost layer that thawed during summer season. Between the 1900s and 1980s, the temperature of the surface layer of permafrost increased by 2-4°C; and a further increase of 3°C is expected. Frequent outbreaks of anthrax caused the death of 1.5 million deer in the Russian North between 1897 and 1925. Anthrax among people or cattle has been reported in 29,000 settlements of the Russian North, including more than 200 Yakutia settlements located near the burial grounds of cattle that have died from anthrax. Statistically significant positive trends in annual average temperatures were established in 8 out of 17 administrative districts of Yakutia for which sufficient meteorological data were available. At present, it is not known whether further warming of the permafrost will lead to the release of viable anthrax organisms. Nevertheless, we suggest that it would be prudent to undertake careful monitoring of permafrost conditions in all areas where an anthrax outbreak has occurred in the past.

Keywords: climate change; Arctic; anthrax; zoonoses; Russia

(Published: 21 November 2011)

Citation: Global Health Action 2011, 4: 8482 - DOI: 10.3402/gha.v4i0.8482