Permafrost Immunity

Abstract

Thawing permafrost is a serious and worrisome threat to the environment, because it releases trapped heavy metals and greenhouse gasses. Thawing permafrost is also a health threat because, in addition to releasing these noxious gasses, thawing permafrost may free novel and undiscovered antibiotic-resistant bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites among a plethora of dormant pathogens. Our immune system is ill-prepared to counter these challenges, and will require significant adaptation, or allostasis, which can be subsumed under the generic term of permafrost immunity. Since most of the most gravely threatening pathogens released by thawing permafrost are likely to penetrate the organism through the oral cavity, permafrost immunity may first be identified in the oral mucosa.