Can ancient pathogens emerging from glaciers and permafrost reach Europe by aerosolization?

Abstract: Glaciers and permafrost capture bacteria and viruses when they form, which can be suspended for millennia. This includes long since extinct pathogens which are functionally novel. As polar regions get warmer these pathogens will emerge and spread through the local ecosystem, potentially altering it. Ancient pathogens do not only pose a risk to their local environments as they can be aerosolized and transported long distances by wind. In this study I aimed to answer the question whether such pathogen transport is possible from Greenland to Europe. Through reviewing and synthesising existing literature from multiple disciplines I found that aerosolized pathogen transport from Greenland to Europe is indeed possible. How likely this is to occur under future climate conditions is unknown, as there is no consensus on how atmospheric circulation over the Atlantic will change. As the possibility under current atmospheric conditions is established by this study, future interdisciplinary research to further explore this phenomenon is warranted.