title: Genes Indicative of Zoonotic and Swine Pathogens Are Persistent in Stream Water and Sediment following a Swine Manure Spill.
abstract: Manure spills into streams are relatively frequent, but no studies have characterized stream contamination with zoonotic and veterinary pathogens, or fecal chemicals, following a spill. We tested stream water and sediment over 25 days and downstream for 7.6 km for the following: fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), the fecal indicator chemicals cholesterol and coprostanol, 20 genes for zoonotic and swine-specific bacterial pathogens by presence/absence PCR for viable cells, one swine-specific Escherichia coli toxin gene (STII gene) by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and nine human and animal viruses by qPCR or reverse transcription-qPCR. Twelve days postspill, and 4.2 km downstream, water concentrations of FIB, cholesterol, and coprostanol were 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater than those detected before, or above, the spill, and genes indicating viable zoonotic or swine-infectious Escherichia coli were detected in water or sediment. STII gene levels increased from undetectable before or above the spill to 10(5) copies/100 ml of water 12 days postspill. Thirteen of 14 water (8/9 sediment) samples had viable STII-carrying cells postspill. Eighteen days postspill, porcine adenovirus and teschovirus were detected 5.6 km downstream. FIB concentrations (per gram [wet weight]) in sediment were greater than in water, and sediment was a continuous reservoir of genes and chemicals postspill. Constituent concentrations were much lower, and detections less frequent, in a runoff event (200 days postspill) following manure application, although the swine-associated STII and stx2e genes were detected. Manure spills are an underappreciated pathway for livestock-derived contaminants to enter streams, with persistent environmental outcomes and the potential for human and veterinary health consequences.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Lansing, Michigan, USA skhaack@usgs.gov.
authors.forename: Sheridan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Haack
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Lansing, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Duris
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Dana W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kolpin
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Lansing, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Fogarty
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Lansing, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Heather E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Focazio
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Kellogg J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Foreman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D008372:Manure / Q000382:microbiology*; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014876:Water Pollution; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008372:Manure