Identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the Antarctic
Studies of Antarctic fauna have led to tentative identification of a range of potential pathogens for both animals and humans. The rapid increase in visitors on tourist ships to the continent, now exceeding 10,000 per year, raises the concern that humans might transmit pathogens into and between wil...
Published in: | Polar Record |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2005
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:191187 |
id |
ftunivqespace:oai:espace.library.uq.edu.au:UQ:191187 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivqespace:oai:espace.library.uq.edu.au:UQ:191187 2023-05-15T13:39:41+02:00 Identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the Antarctic Curry, C. H. McCarthy, J. S. Darragh, H. M. Wake, R. A. Churchill, S. E. Robins, A. M. Lowen, R. J. 2005-01-01 https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:191187 eng eng Cambridge University Press doi:10.1017/S0032247404003961 issn:1475-3057 issn:0032-2474 Antarctic fauna Pathogens Chemical disinfectant Bacteria 11 Medical and Health Sciences 1117 Public Health and Health Services Journal Article 2005 ftunivqespace https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247404003961 2020-10-19T22:44:06Z Studies of Antarctic fauna have led to tentative identification of a range of potential pathogens for both animals and humans. The rapid increase in visitors on tourist ships to the continent, now exceeding 10,000 per year, raises the concern that humans might transmit pathogens into and between wildlife colonies. The authors investigated the feasibility and efficacy of chemical disinfection of the microbial contamination on visitors' boots. During three voyages to penguin colonies in the Ross Sea, swabs were collected from the boots of visitors prior to landing, immediately on return to the ship, after a water wash, and after a chemical disinfectant wash using Virkon S. For the first two visits, abundant growth of bacteria was identified on boots at all three stages prior to disinfection. Following disinfection, the growth of bacteria was virtually eliminated. On the third visit, previously disinfected boots grew virtually no bacteria. After this landing the bacterial growth was substantially reduced by disinfection. These results indicate that consideration should be given to including disinfection in cleaning the boots of visitors to wildlife sites in the Antarctic to reduce the risk of translocation of microbial pathogens. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Ross Sea The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace Antarctic The Antarctic Ross Sea Landing The ENVELOPE(161.417,161.417,-78.367,-78.367) Polar Record 41 1 39 45 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftunivqespace |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctic fauna Pathogens Chemical disinfectant Bacteria 11 Medical and Health Sciences 1117 Public Health and Health Services |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic fauna Pathogens Chemical disinfectant Bacteria 11 Medical and Health Sciences 1117 Public Health and Health Services Curry, C. H. McCarthy, J. S. Darragh, H. M. Wake, R. A. Churchill, S. E. Robins, A. M. Lowen, R. J. Identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the Antarctic |
topic_facet |
Antarctic fauna Pathogens Chemical disinfectant Bacteria 11 Medical and Health Sciences 1117 Public Health and Health Services |
description |
Studies of Antarctic fauna have led to tentative identification of a range of potential pathogens for both animals and humans. The rapid increase in visitors on tourist ships to the continent, now exceeding 10,000 per year, raises the concern that humans might transmit pathogens into and between wildlife colonies. The authors investigated the feasibility and efficacy of chemical disinfection of the microbial contamination on visitors' boots. During three voyages to penguin colonies in the Ross Sea, swabs were collected from the boots of visitors prior to landing, immediately on return to the ship, after a water wash, and after a chemical disinfectant wash using Virkon S. For the first two visits, abundant growth of bacteria was identified on boots at all three stages prior to disinfection. Following disinfection, the growth of bacteria was virtually eliminated. On the third visit, previously disinfected boots grew virtually no bacteria. After this landing the bacterial growth was substantially reduced by disinfection. These results indicate that consideration should be given to including disinfection in cleaning the boots of visitors to wildlife sites in the Antarctic to reduce the risk of translocation of microbial pathogens. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Curry, C. H. McCarthy, J. S. Darragh, H. M. Wake, R. A. Churchill, S. E. Robins, A. M. Lowen, R. J. |
author_facet |
Curry, C. H. McCarthy, J. S. Darragh, H. M. Wake, R. A. Churchill, S. E. Robins, A. M. Lowen, R. J. |
author_sort |
Curry, C. H. |
title |
Identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the Antarctic |
title_short |
Identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the Antarctic |
title_full |
Identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the Antarctic |
title_fullStr |
Identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the Antarctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the Antarctic |
title_sort |
identification of an agent suitable for disinfecting boots of visitors to the antarctic |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:191187 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(161.417,161.417,-78.367,-78.367) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Ross Sea Landing The |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Ross Sea Landing The |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ross Sea |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ross Sea |
op_relation |
doi:10.1017/S0032247404003961 issn:1475-3057 issn:0032-2474 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247404003961 |
container_title |
Polar Record |
container_volume |
41 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
39 |
op_container_end_page |
45 |
_version_ |
1766122204539387904 |