caa a22 4500 445378255 CHVBK 20180317143009.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20111201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10393-011-0720-z doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10393-011-0720-z High Numbers of Vibrio vulnificus in Tar Balls Collected from Oiled Areas of the North-Central Gulf of Mexico Following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill [Elektronische Daten] [Zhen Tao, Stephen Bullard, Covadonga Arias] The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was the largest oil spill in USA history releasing approximately 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Soon after the spill started, tar balls and other forms of weathered oil appeared in large numbers on beaches in Mississippi and Alabama. In this study, we analyzed tar balls for total aerobic bacterial (TAB) counts and also for the presence of Vibrio vulnificus, a human pathogen known to be abundant in the Gulf Coast environment and capable of causing severe wound infections by contact with contaminated surfaces. Our results showed that TAB counts were significantly higher in tar balls than in sand and seawater collected at the same location. In addition, V. vulnificus numbers were 10× higher in tar balls than in sand and up to 100× higher than in seawater. Densities of V. vulnificus were higher than 105 colony forming units/g of tar ball in all samples analyzed. Our data suggest that tar balls can act as reservoirs for bacteria including human pathogens. International Association for Ecology and Health, 2011 Vibrio vulnificus nationallicence Tar balls nationallicence Deepwater Horizon oil spill nationallicence Tao Zhen Aquatic Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, 203 Swingle Hall, 36849, Auburn, AL, USA aut Bullard Stephen Aquatic Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, 203 Swingle Hall, 36849, Auburn, AL, USA aut Arias Covadonga Aquatic Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, 203 Swingle Hall, 36849, Auburn, AL, USA aut EcoHealth Springer-Verlag 8/4(2011-12-01), 507-511 1612-9202 8:4<507 2011 8 10393 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-011-0720-z text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 brief-communication jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-011-0720-z text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Tao Zhen Aquatic Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, 203 Swingle Hall, 36849, Auburn, AL, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Bullard Stephen Aquatic Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, 203 Swingle Hall, 36849, Auburn, AL, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Arias Covadonga Aquatic Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, 203 Swingle Hall, 36849, Auburn, AL, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- EcoHealth Springer-Verlag 8/4(2011-12-01), 507-511 1612-9202 8:4<507 2011 8 10393 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer