Can plastic pollution drive the emergence and dissemination of novel zoonotic diseases?

Ormsby, Michael J.; Woodford, Luke; Quilliam, Richard S.

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2024.118172

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…In natural environments, both humans and animals inevitably encounter plastics with their associated plastisphere. This proximity creates opportunities for genetic exchange and elevates the risk of host-specific gene transfer between unrelated pathogens, potentially leading to the emergence of novel pathogen strains capable of colonizing new hosts [ 87 ]. The plastisphere offers protection against environmental factors, for example, UV radiation, which may influence the development of resistance mechanisms in some viruses [ 87 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Plastisphere from Floating Plastics in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, with Emphasis on Viruses

Lacerda,

Briand,

Lenoble

et al. 2024

Microorganisms

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Plastics in the ocean create the “plastisphere”, a diverse habitat hosting various life forms. Other than the pollution induced by plastics, the co-occurrence of primary producers, symbiotic organisms, decomposers, and pathogens within the plastisphere raises questions about how they influence the dynamics of marine ecosystems. Here, we used a shotgun DNA-sequencing approach to describe the species thriving on floating plastics collected in two Mediterranean sites. Our findings revealed many species of bacteria, eukaryotes, viruses, and archaea on each plastic. Proteobacteria was dominant (70% of reads in the entire dataset), with other groups such as Ascomycota fungi (11%) and Bacteroidetes (9%) also being represented. The community structure was not affected by the polymeric composition or the plastic shape. Notably, pathogenic Vibrio species, including V. campbelli, V. alginolyticus, and V. coralliilyticus, were among the most abundant species. Viruses, despite showing lower relative abundances, occurred in all samples, especially Herpesvirales, Caudovirales, and Poxviridae groups. A significant finding was the presence of the White Spot Syndrome virus (WSSV). This pathogen, responsible for devastating outbreaks in aquaculture systems, had not been previously reported in the marine plastisphere. Our study emphasizes the need for further investigation into the ecological and economic impacts of plastisphere organisms in the ocean.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Plastisphere from Floating Plastics in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, with Emphasis on Viruses

Lacerda,

Briand,

Lenoble

et al. 2024

Microorganisms

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show abstract

“…Plastics in the environment rapidly become colonised by microbial biofilm, termed the ‘plastisphere’, with such communities often containing human pathogens [ 5 ]. Additionally, livestock frequently ingest plastics in their feed [ 6 , 7 ], with the potential for these plastics to become colonised by enteric zoonotic pathogens during passage through the gut before subsequent delivery into agricultural systems via excretion or application of fertilisers, manure, and slurry [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salmonella Typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae can be transferred from plastic mulch to basil and spinach salad leaves

Woodford,

Fellows,

White

et al. 2024

Heliyon

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Survival and transfer potential of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium colonising polyethylene microplastics in contaminated agricultural soils

Woodford,

Fellows,

White

et al. 2024

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Agricultural environments are becoming increasingly contaminated with plastic pollution. Plastics in the environment can also provide a unique habitat for microbial biofilm, termed the ‘plastisphere’, which can also support the persistence of human pathogens such as Salmonella. Human enteric Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium can enter agricultural environments via flooding or from irrigation with contaminated water. Using soil mesocosms we quantified the ability of S. Typhimurium to persist on microplastic beads in two agriculturally relevant soils, under ambient and repeat flood scenarios. S. Typhimurium persisted in the plastisphere for 35 days in both podzol and loamy soils; while during multiple flood events was able to survive in the plastisphere for up to 21 days. S. Typhimurium could dissociate from the plastisphere during flooding events and migrate through soil in leachate, and importantly could colonise new plastic particles in the soil, suggesting that plastic pollution in agricultural soils can aid S. Typhimurium persistence and facilitate further dissemination within the environment. The potential for increased survival of enteric human pathogens in agricultural and food production environments due to plastic contamination poses a significant public health risk, particularly in potato or root vegetable systems where there is the potential for direct contact with crops.

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Can plastic pollution drive the emergence and dissemination of novel zoonotic diseases?

Cited by 5 publications

References 74 publications

Assessing the Plastisphere from Floating Plastics in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, with Emphasis on Viruses

Assessing the Plastisphere from Floating Plastics in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, with Emphasis on Viruses

Salmonella Typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae can be transferred from plastic mulch to basil and spinach salad leaves

Survival and transfer potential of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium colonising polyethylene microplastics in contaminated agricultural soils

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