Rising temperatures in Arctic increase risk of polar bear diseases

By Alimat Aliyeva

Rising temperatures in the Arctic increase the risk of infection of polar bears with viruses, bacteria and parasites, Azernews reports.

As a result of the conducted research, it was found that the possibility of infection with diseases that these animals did not encounter 30 years ago has increased significantly. Researchers analyzed blood samples from bears living in the Chukchi Sea between Alaska and Russia to find out how this could be related to rising temperatures and melting ice. The samples for the study were collected between 1987 and 1994, and then re-examined 30 years later, between 2008 and 2017.

The researchers found that many of the recent blood samples contained chemical signs indicating that the bears were infected with one of five viruses, bacteria or parasites. Doctor of Biology from the U.S. Geological Survey. Karin Rhode said this shows that something has changed in the entire Arctic ecosystem.