59. Anthrax Reindeer
Recent hikes in the Earth’s temperature caused permafrost in Russia to melt away, exposing a reindeer carcass to the air for the first time in centuries. This was a dangerous development because the deer has died of anthrax infection. Anthrax is a bacteria that spreads through spores and causes shortness of breath and skin ulcers in mild infections.
The Atlantic
Nearly two thousand reindeer died from the epidemic of anthrax, which went on to infect thousands of local nomads whose livelihood relies on the animals. The Russian government wanted to kill 250,000 reindeer but met fierce resistance from the local population.
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