Entry of Yersinia pestis into the viable but nonculturable state in a low-temperature tap water microcosm.

ABSTRACT: Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has caused several pandemics throughout history and remains endemic in the rodent populations of the western United States. More recently, Y. pestis is one of several bacterial pathogens considered to be a potential agent of bioterrorism. Thus, elucidating potential mechanisms of survival and persistence in the environment would be important in the event of an intentional release of the organism. One such mechanism is entry into the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, as has been demonstrated for several other bacterial pathogens. In this study, we showed that Y. pestis became nonculturable by normal laboratory methods after 21 days in a low-temperature tap water microcosm. We further show evidence that, after the loss of culturability, t

SUBMITTER: Pawlowski DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3059211 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature