Abstract
BackgroundA critical aspect regarding the global dispersion of pathogenic microorganisms is associated with atmospheric movement of soil particles. Especially, desert dust storms can transport alien microorganisms over continental scales and can deposit them in sensitive sink habitats. In winter 2014, the largest ever recorded Saharan dust event in Italy was efficiently deposited on the Dolomite Alps and was sealed between dust-free snow. This provided us the unique opportunity to overcome difficulties in separating dust associated from “domestic” microbes and thus, to determine with high precision microorganisms transported exclusively by desert dust.ResultsOur metagenomic analysis revealed that sandstorms can move not only fractions but rather large parts of entire microbial communities far away from their area of origin and that this microbiota contains several of the most stress-resistant organisms on Earth, including highly destructive fungal and bacterial pathogens. In particular, we provide first evidence that winter-occurring dust depositions can favor a rapid microbial contamination of sensitive sink habitats after snowmelt.ConclusionsAirborne microbial depositions accompanying extreme meteorological events represent a realistic threat for ecosystem and public health. Therefore, monitoring the spread and persistence of storm-travelling alien microbes is a priority while considering future trajectories of climatic anomalies as well as anthropogenically driven changes in land use in the source regions.
Highlights
A critical aspect regarding the global dispersion of pathogenic microorganisms is associated with atmospheric movement of soil particles
Weil et al Microbiome (2017) 5:32 the ice of glaciers. Such permanently frozen environments harbour a variety of viable microorganisms [9] that have been deposited over centuries [10], but it was rarely shown that they can persist in the new habitat after the snowpack was melted [11]
The characterization of alien microorganisms that are currently sequestered in the cryosphere is a priority while considering global warming and future trajectories of climatic anomalies as well as anthropogenically driven changes in land use in the source regions [4, 15, 16]
Summary
A critical aspect regarding the global dispersion of pathogenic microorganisms is associated with atmospheric movement of soil particles. In winter 2014, the largest ever recorded Saharan dust event in Italy was efficiently deposited on the Dolomite Alps and was sealed between dust-free snow This provided us the unique opportunity to overcome difficulties in separating dust associated from “domestic” microbes and to determine with high precision microorganisms transported exclusively by desert dust. West African soils, primary the Saharan desert, are major sources of airborne dust that is frequently transported at high altitude over the Atlantic and the European continent [4]. To efficiently study the long-distance dispersal of microbes by large-scale desert dust events and their impact on distant ecosystems, a collaborating effort of geologists, atmospheric chemists, and microbiologists was strongly requested [3]
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