Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/05
Outputs
We have a collection of 10 mesophilic bacterial strains from bovine and swine manure that were shown several years ago to be capable of degrading hepatitis A virus in various ways. Some of these have been shown since to be active against oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum. More recently, we have isolated 12 thermophilic bacterial strains from composted turkey manure. We have been attempting to demonstrate and characterize the manner of viral degradation that these agents produce, using cell-free culture filtrates and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Unfortunately, it has been impossible to obtain financial support for this work, so it is necessary to end it for the foreseeable future IMPACT - Animal waste carries a rich flora of bacteria that can digest many things, even disease agents; we hoped to find ways to use these capabilities to protect public health.
Impacts
Agents (e.g., viruses and protozoa) that can cause disease in animals and humans occur in the manure of farm animals and may contaminate soil, water, feed, or food. Some of the bacteria present are able to attack these disease agents. Our work is a start toward creating conditions that may use bacterial action to reduce health risks.
Publications
- Deng, M. Y., and Cliver, D. O. 1995. Persistence of inoculated hepatitis A virus in mixed human and animal wastes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:87-91.
- Deng, M. Y., and Cliver, D. O. 1995. Antiviral effects of bacteria isolated from manure. Microbial Ecol. 30:43-54.
- Deng, M., Nuanualsuwan, S., and Cliver, D. O. 2001. Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts by bacterial strains. J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 2001(Suppl):37S-39S.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
We have a collection of 10 mesophilic bacterial strains from bovine and swine manure that were shown several years ago to be capable of degrading hepatitis A virus in various ways. Some of these have been shown since to be active against oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum. More recently, we have isolated 12 thermophilic bacterial strains from composted turkey manure. We are attempting to demonstrate and characterize the manner of viral degradation that these agents produce, using cell-free culture filtrates and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Once this is well under way, we will attempt to demonstrate the effects of these bacteria (or their products) against Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
Impacts
Animal waste carries a rich flora of bacteria that can digest many things, even disease agents; we hope to find ways to use these capabilities to protect public health.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
We thought we had 10 strains of proven antiviral mesophilic bacteria (from cow and swine manure) in our freezer. When we thawed these, several could not be authenticated. Fortunately, nine of them had also been archived in the freezers of the Eastern Regional Research Laboratory of USDA-ARS. A colleague there was kind enough to revive them and send them to us. With some further effort, we now have the 10 original strains grown and are preparing a cell-free filtrate of a broth culture of each, for further testing against viruses and protozoan cysts and oocysts. Initial trials to demonstrate that the cell-free filtrates can destroy viruses, as demonstrated by loss of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction signal, are in progress. We have also isolated several strains of thermotolerant bacteria from composted turkey manure, by culturing them at 55C. These are presently being characterized. A beginning quantity of cysts of Giardia lamblia and oocysts of
Cryptosporidium parvum have been purchased. Our epi-illumination microscope had to be refurbished to permit us to do propidium iodide-exclusion tests to determine the viability of these cysts and oocysts. The refurbishment is almost completed, so work with the protozoa is about to begin.
Impacts
Animal manures are increasingly seen as an insult to the environment and a threat to public health. This study may help to mitigate this perception and afford a more favorable view of animal production agriculture.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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