The Survival of Viruses at Low Temperatures

Sewage Disposal and Wildlife Health in Antarctica

“…Most microbiological studies of sewage disposal in Antarctica focus on issues related to protection of human health rather than indigenous biota (Boyd et al 1972;Harker 1989;McFeters et al 1993;O'Neill et al 1968;Tzabar and Pennington 1991). Additionally, little evidence presently exists directly linking microbial agents of human infection and disease with a diseased or infected state in Antarctic wildlife.…”

“…Field observations have confirmed that human enteric micro-organisms can persist in the long term in the marine environment, particularly at low temperatures. Counts of C. perfringens in benthic sediments at an abandoned deepwater sewage sludge dumping ground (~2,500 m depth) were 10-fold higher than at a reference location 1 year after the cessation of dumping (Hill et al 1993). O'Neill et al (1968 found that 10-20% of enterovirus remained infective in frozen sewage at −33°C over 4 months.…”