ISSN 2169-3048
International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 8 (9), pp. 001-004, September, 2019. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Numerous locus variable-number pair rehash examination of Bacillus anthracis disengaged from a human-animal Bacillus anthracis episode in the Luangwa valley of Zambia
Nalumino Lupando Malimba
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Lusaka, Lusaka, Zambia. Email: [email protected]
Accepted 23 May, 2019
Abstract
The incidence of anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis, in human and animal population of Zambia has increased recently. In this study, 34 strains of Bacillus anthracis from soil, hippopotamuses and humans, isolated in the 2011 outbreak were analyzed using the multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis. The analysis revealed that a single anthrax clone may have been involved in the epidemic. Considering the cyclical nature of B. anthracis, a link could be established with anthrax spores in soil getting ingested by hippopotamuses, followed by human contact resulting into an animal-human epidemic. These data confirm the importance of molecular typing methods for in-depth epidemiological analyses of anthrax epidemics.
Key words: Bacillus anthracis, hippopotamuses, variable number tandem repeat (VNTRs), epidemic, human.