Bacillus species and B. anthracis presence/absence data were determined in 4,770 soil samples collected across the contiguous United States, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) data for Bacillus species and B. anthracis rpoB gene PCR amplicon detection were reported as non-detect (n), low (l), medium (m), and high (h). Results for both pag and lef genes of the pX01 plasmid were reported by the University of South Florida's Center for Biological ...

Due to the recognized proliferation and spread of antibiotic resistance genes by anthropogenic use of antibiotics for human, agriculture and aquaculture purposes, antibiotic resistance genes have been defined as an emerging contaminant (Laxminarayan and others, 2013; Rodriguez-Rojas and others, 2013; Niu and others, 2016). The presence and spread of these genes in non-clinical and non-agricultural environments has created the need for background investigations to enhance our understanding of the magnitude ...

Due to the recognized proliferation and spread of antibiotic resistance genes by anthropogenic use of antibiotics for human, agriculture and aquaculture purposes, antibiotic resistance genes have been defined as an emerging contaminant (Laxminarayan and others, 2013; Rodriguez-Rojas and others, 2013; Niu and others, 2016). The presence and spread of these genes in non-clinical and non-agricultural environments has created the need for background investigations to enhance our understanding of the magnitude ...