Effects of Experimental Exclusion of Scavengers from Carcasses of Anthrax-Infected Herbivores on Bacillus anthracis Sporulation, Survival, and Distribution
Effects of Experimental Exclusion of Scavengers from Carcasses of Anthrax-Infected Herbivores on Bacillus anthracis Sporulation, Survival, and Distribution
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DOI：
10.1128/aem.00181-13
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发表时间：
2013-06-01
影响因子：
4.4
通讯作者：
Getz, Wayne M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Bellan, Steve E.;Turnbull, Peter C. B.;Getz, Wayne M.
长期以来，人们一直假设炭疽菌尸体的清除在宿主死亡后炭疽杆菌感染性孢子阶段的产生中起着关键作用，尽管缺乏评估这一点的实证研究。我们比较了B。炭疽孢子的产生、分布和在自然发生的炭疽草食动物尸体上的存活，这些尸体要么被实验性地关在笼子里以排除脊椎动物的清道夫，要么不被处理。清除剂对土壤孢子密度无显著影响（P > 0.05）。用终末出血的血液和非出血性液体染色的土壤显示出高水平的B。炭疽孢子污染（范围从103至108孢子/克），即使在没有脊椎动物清道夫。在大多数的尸体现场，我们还发现，孢子密度在样品中采取的土壤中的腐殖液染色后，继续增加超过4天的主机死亡。我们的结论是，脊椎动物的清除是不是一个关键因素的生活史中的B。他还指出，炭疽病控制措施依靠威慑或排除脊椎动物食腐动物来防止孢子形成，不太可能有效。
Scavenging of anthrax carcasses has long been hypothesized to play a critical role in the production of the infectious spore stage of Bacillus anthracis after host death, though empirical studies assessing this are lacking. We compared B. anthracis spore production, distribution, and survival at naturally occurring anthrax herbivore carcasses that were either experimentally caged to exclude vertebrate scavengers or left unmanipulated. We found no significant effect of scavengers on soil spore density (P > 0.05). Soil stained with terminally hemorrhaged blood and with nonhemorrhagic fluids exhibited high levels of B. anthracis spore contamination (ranging from 103 to 108 spores/g), even in the absence of vertebrate scavengers. At most of the carcass sites, we also found that spore density in samples taken from hemorrhagic-fluid-stained soil continued to increase for >4 days after host death. We conclude that scavenging by vertebrates is not a critical factor in the life cycle of B. anthracis and that anthrax control measures relying on deterrence or exclusion of vertebrate scavengers to prevent sporulation are unlikely to be effective.