Center for Bio/Molecular Science & Engineering, Code 6900, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2011 Jul;77(13):4285-92. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00021-11. Epub 2011 May 13.
A significant percentage of the human population is exposed to high levels of naturally occurring airborne dusts. Although the link between airborne particulate inhalation and a variety of respiratory diseases has long been established, little is known about the pathogenic role of the microbial component of the dust. In this study, we applied highly multiplexed PCR and a high-density resequencing microarray (RPM-TEI version 1.0) to screen samples of fine topsoil particles and airborne dust collected in 19 locations in Iraq and Kuwait for the presence of a broad range of human pathogens. The results indicated the presence of potential human pathogens, including Mycobacterium, Brucella, Coxiella burnetii, Clostridium perfringens, and Bacillus. The presence of Coxiella burnetii, a highly infectious potential biowarfare agent, was confirmed and detected in additional samples by use of a more sensitive technique (real-time PCR), indicating a high prevalence of this organism in the analyzed samples. The detection of potentially viable pathogens in breathable dusts from arid regions of Iraq and Kuwait underscores the importance of further study of these environments.
相当大比例的人类暴露于高水平的天然空气中尘埃。尽管空气中的颗粒物吸入与各种呼吸道疾病之间的联系早已确立，但对尘埃中微生物成分的致病作用知之甚少。在这项研究中，我们应用了高度多重 PCR 和高密度重测序微阵列（RPM-TEI 版本 1.0）来筛选在伊拉克和科威特的 19 个地点采集的细表土颗粒和空气尘埃样本，以检测广泛的人类病原体的存在。结果表明存在潜在的人类病原体，包括分枝杆菌、布鲁氏菌、贝氏柯克斯体、产气荚膜梭菌和芽孢杆菌。使用更敏感的技术（实时 PCR）确认并检测到了高度传染性的潜在生物战剂贝氏柯克斯体的存在，表明在分析样本中该生物体的高流行率。在伊拉克和科威特干旱地区可吸入尘埃中检测到潜在的有活力的病原体，强调了进一步研究这些环境的重要性。
