Unusual Bacteria And Fungus

Travelling Bacteria And Fungus by Jane Thurnell-Read

A recent report in the UK Guardian newspaper (May 25 2006) set me thinking. Dale Griffin of the US Geological Survey explained how bacteria and fungus from Africa can be carried thousands of miles. Desert storms can blow the organisms 3 miles high. Dr Griffn explained that probably 90% will be killed, but some will survive their exposure to the sun’s radiation:

"Among 40 tests of air samples taken in the mid-Atlantic, 24 revealed living microbes, including 26 colonies of bacteria and 83 fungi. They included strains capable of causing disease in humans, animals and plants. A typical gram of Sahara soil contains up to 1bn bacteria, and estimates suggest 2bn tonnes of soil particles are blown around the planet each year. Dr Griffin and his team used genetic testing to establish the exact origin of the organisms."

Many practitioners who test for fungi and bacteria occasionally find clients who appear to have been exposed to organisms they could not, in theory, have encountered. This research suggests how this could occur. Although this work has been done in relation to Africa, it will have more general application.

It is a timely reminder of how far different particles can travel. Volcanic dust, for example, has been shown to travel thousands of miles, crossing continents with ease. Industrial pollution has been found far from man’s activity.