The story received little attention, but it showed without a shadow of a doubt that something dangerous is lurking below the Arctic's permafrost. As it turns out, the contagion was identified as a strain of Bacillus Anthracis, more commonly known as Anthrax, and was believed to have been released into the wildlife and human population after warmer temperatures melted the ice.

Scientists and government officials now say that the Arctic Anthrax outbreak is a warning to the human population, and that continued warming of the climate could lead to deadlier, rapidly spreading viruses that have long been believed to be extinct.

The fear is that this will not be an isolated case.

As the Earth warms, more permafrost will melt. Under normal circumstances, superficial permafrost layers about 50cm deep melt every summer. But now global warming is gradually exposing older permafrost layers.