Application of a Broad-Range Resequencing Array for Detection of Pathogens in Desert Dust Samples from Kuwait and Iraq

Łęski, Tomasz A.; Malanoski, Anthony P.; Gregory, Michael J.; Lin, Baochuan; Stenger, David A.

doi:10.1128/aem.00021-11

Cited by 68 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Dust storms may pick up and long-range transport the toxic trace elements and biologically active compounds (bacteria, fungi, pollen, spores and viruses) from natural or anthropogenic sources on a global scale [5,[190][191][192]. All of the transported micro-organisms have potential implications for disease incidences, including meningococcal meningitis and coccidiomycosis.…”

Section: Desert Dust and Other Infectious Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Global Desert Dust and Associated Human Health Effects

et al. 2016

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Dust storms and sandy dust events originating in arid and semi-arid areas can transport particulate material, pollutants, and potential transport long distances from their sources. Exposure to desert dust particles is generally acknowledged to endanger human health. However, most studies have examined anthropogenic particulate sources, with few studies considering contributions from natural desert dust. A systematic literature review was undertaken using the ISI Web of Knowledge and PubMed databases with the objective of identifying all studies presenting results on the potential health impact from desert dust particles across the world. This review reveals an imbalance between the areas most exposed to dust and the areas most studied in terms of health effects. Among the human health effects of dust storms are mortality and morbidity, arising from respiratory system, circulatory system, and other diseases. We summarize the quantitative results of current scientific health research and possible pathological mechanisms, and describe some of the many challenges related to understanding health effects from exposures to desert dust particles. Overall, for respiratory and circulatory mortality, both positive and negative associations have been reported for PM 10 of desert dust, but only a positive relationship was reported between PM 2.5-10 and mortality, and a positive relationship was also reported between PM 2.5 and human mortality. Future pathological studies should continue to focus on those mechanisms causing the most harmful effect of desert dust on respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. More attention should also be paid to the association between desert dust and the morbidity of other diseases, such as those affecting the reproductive system and nervous system.

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Section: Desert Dust and Other Infectious Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Global Desert Dust and Associated Human Health Effects

et al. 2016

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“…Aerosol optical depth at various optical wavelengths is retrieved from measured radiances and processed through the application of various algorithms. The AOD products have been validated extensively throughout the literature mainly by comparisons with the ground-based AErosol Robotic NETwork (AERONET) observations Remer et al, 2005Remer et al, , 2008Levy et al, , 2010. The Deep Blue algorithm is an algorithm developed to overcome the problems associated with aerosol retrievals over bright-reflecting surfaces such as deserts and semiarid regions (Hsu et al, 2004(Hsu et al, , 2006.…”

Section: Synoptic Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dust and dust storms interfere with human life and function in various ways. They are known to cause health problems, especially to the respiratory system, leading to various forms of allergies (Wilson and Spengler, 1996;Griffin and Kellogg, 2004;Griffin, 2007;Achudume and Oladipo, 2009;Leski et al, 2011). Dust storms cause soil loss from dry lands and preferentially remove organic matter and the nutrient-rich lightest particles, thereby reducing agricultural productivity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol's optical and physical characteristics and direct radiative forcing during a shamal dust storm, a case study

Saeed

Al‐Dashti²,

Spyrou

2014

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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Abstract. Dust aerosols are analyzed for their optical and physical properties during an episode of a dust storm that blew over Kuwait on 26 March 2003 when the military Operation Iraqi Freedom was in full swing. The intensity of the dust storm was such that it left a thick suspension of dust throughout the following day, 27 March. The synoptic sequence leading to the dust storm and the associated wind fields are discussed. Ground-based measurements of aerosol optical thickness reached 3.617 and 4.17 on 26 and 27 March respectively while the Ångstrom coefficient, α 870/440 , dropped to −0.0234 and −0.0318. Particulate matter concentration of 10 µm diameter or less, PM 10 , peaked at 4800 µg m −3 during dust storm hours of 26 March. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) by Deep Blue algorithm and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) aerosol index (AI) exhibited high values. Latitude-longitude maps of AOD and AI were used to deduce source regions of dust transport over Kuwait. The vertical profile of the dust layer was simulated using the SKIRON atmospheric model. Instantaneous net direct radiative forcing is calculated at top of atmosphere (TOA) and surface level. The thick dust layer of 26 March resulted in cooling the TOA by −60 Wm −2 and surface level by −175 Wm −2 for a surface albedo of 0.35. Slightly higher values were obtained for 27 March due to the increase in aerosol optical thickness. Radiative heating/cooling rates in the shortwave and longwave bands were also examined. Shortwave heating rate reached a maximum value of 2 K day −1 between 3 and 5 km, dropped to 1.5 K day −1 at 6 km and diminished at 8 km. Longwave radiation initially heated the lower atmosphere by a maximum value of 0.2 K day −1 at surface level, declined sharply at increasing altitude and diminished at 4 km. Above 4 km longwave radiation started to cool the atmosphere slightly reaching a maximum rate of −0.1 K day −1 at 6 km.

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“…The three other studies reported the presence of C. burnetii DNA in dust (17) or primarily soil samples from a geographically large area in the United States (11,14). The latter three studies investigated the presence of C. burnetii DNA in soil samples (6) and surface swabs (1,9) in relation to human Q fever outbreaks.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%