WHO practices fatal ‘mammothpox’ outbreak

(MENAFN) The World Health Organization (WHO) recently conducted a large-scale pandemic simulation involving a fictional virus named "mammothpox," believed to originate from the thawed remains of a woolly mammoth, The Telegraph reported. Documents obtained by the outlet reveal that the global exercise, called Exercise Polaris, involved over 15 countries and was designed to evaluate the world’s preparedness for future pandemics.

According to the WHO, the scenario imagined a highly infectious virus similar to smallpox being unleashed when scientists and filmmakers unearthed frozen mammoth remains in the Arctic. The simulated outbreak quickly overwhelmed intensive care units worldwide, pushing health systems to the brink.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the inevitability of future pandemics, noting they could strike at any time — whether decades from now or tomorrow. While the drill ended with the virus being contained, officials warned that a real-life outbreak would likely be more difficult to manage.

The exercise highlighted growing concerns over the potential health risks associated with melting permafrost. As climate change accelerates Arctic thawing, dormant pathogens — some unknown to modern science — could re-emerge. The WHO briefing stressed that ancient viruses can survive in frozen ground for thousands of years.

With increasing numbers of researchers and ivory hunters excavating Arctic regions in search of ancient remains, including mammoths, the risk of exposure to such pathogens may be rising. Many of these activities reportedly occur without sufficient biosecurity measures.

In recent years, scientists have even revived ancient microbes from permafrost. In 2023, French virologist Jean-Michel Claverie successfully revived a 48,500-year-old virus from frozen soil, sparking debates about the potential danger of such "zombie viruses" to human health.

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