Aquatic reservoir of Vibrio cholerae in an African Great Lake assessed by large scale plankton sampling and ultrasensitive molecular methods

Vezzulli, L, Oliveri, C, Borello, A, Gregory, L, Kimirei, I, Brunetta, M, Stern, R, Coco, S, Longo, L, Taviani, E, Santos, A, Martinez-Urtaza, J, Wilson, WH, Colwell, RR, Pruzzo, C and Plisnier, P-D 2021 Aquatic reservoir of Vibrio cholerae in an African Great Lake assessed by large scale plankton sampling and ultrasensitive molecular methods. ISME Communications, 1, 20. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-021-00023-1

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Abstract/Summary

The significance of large tropical lakes as environmental reservoirs of Vibrio cholerae in cholera endemic countries has yet to be established. By combining large scale plankton sampling, microbial culture and ultrasensitive molecular methods, namely Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) and targeted genomics, the presence of Vibrio cholerae was investigated in a 96,600 L volume of surface water collected on a 322 nautical mile (596 km) transect in Lake Tanganyika. V. cholerae was detected and identified in a large area of the lake. In contrast, toxigenic strains of V. cholerae O1 or O139 were not detected in plankton samples possibly in relation to environmental conditions of the lake ecosystem, namely very low salinity compared to marine brackish and coastal environments. This represents to our knowledge, the largest environmental study to determine the role of tropical lakes as a reservoir of V. cholerae.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Additional Keywords:	Water Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, Aquatic Reservoir, Vibrio Cholerae, African Great Lake, Plankton Sampling, Ultrasensitive Molecular Methods
Subjects:	Biology Earth Observation - Remote Sensing Ecology and Environment Marine Sciences
Divisions:	Marine Biological Association of the UK > Ocean Biology
Depositing User:	Tamar Atkinson
Date made live:	29 Apr 2022 15:14
Last Modified:	09 Feb 2024 15:49
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/9647

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