Open AccessPersistence of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki in Urban Environments following Spraying
Author(s) -
Sheila Van Cuyk,
Alina Deshpande,
Attelia Hollander,
Nathan Duval,
Lawrence O. Ticknor,
Julie Layshock,
Laverne A. Gallegos-Graves,
Kristin M. Omberg
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.05207-11
Subject(s) - bacillus thuringiensis , bacillus anthracis , persistence (discontinuity) , biology , lymantria dispar , biological pest control , bacillus (shape) , biological dispersal , pest analysis , bacillales , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , ecology , botany , population , genetics , geotechnical engineering , demography , sociology , bacillus subtilis , engineering
Bacillus thuringiensis subsp.kurstaki is applied extensively in North America to control the gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar . SinceB. thuringiensis subsp.kurstaki shares many physical and biological properties withBacillus anthracis , it is a reasonable surrogate for biodefense studies. A key question in biodefense is how long a biothreat agent will persist in the environment. There is some information in the literature on the persistence ofBacillus anthracis in laboratories and historical testing areas and forBacillus thuringiensis in agricultural settings, but there is no information on the persistence ofBacillus spp. in the type of environment that would be encountered in a city or on a military installation. Since it is not feasible to releaseB. anthracis in a developed area, the controlled release ofB. thuringiensis subsp.kurstaki for pest control was used to gain insight into the potential persistence ofBacillus spp. in outdoor urban environments. Persistence was evaluated in two locations: Fairfax County, VA, and Seattle, WA. Environmental samples were collected from multiple matrices and evaluated for the presence of viableB. thuringiensis subsp.kurstaki at times ranging from less than 1 day to 4 years after spraying. Real-time PCR and culture were used for analysis.B. thuringiensis subsp.kurstaki was found to persist in urban environments for at least 4 years. It was most frequently detected in soils and less frequently detected in wipes, grass, foliage, and water. The collective results indicate that certain species ofBacillus may persist for years following their dispersal in urban environments.