Environmental Attributes Influencing the Distribution of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Northern Australia.

Factors responsible for the spatial and temporal clustering of Burkholderia pseudomallei in the environment remain to be elucidated. Whilst laboratory based experiments have been performed to analyse survival of the organism in various soil types, such approaches are strongly influenced by alterations to the soil micro ecology during soil sanitisation and translocation. During the monsoonal season in Townsville, Australia, B.

Sago haemolytic disease: towards understanding a novel food-borne toxicosis.

Sago haemolytic disease is a rare but sometimes fatal disease found primarily in the coastal regions of Papua New Guinea and among groups in which sago is a primary source of carbohydrate. It has been known since 1961 and fungi consistently have been suspected of being involved. Investigations carried out on stored sago and samples recovered from poisoning episodes have failed to indicate the consistent presence of mycotoxins.

Nitrogen fixation associated with sago (Metroxylon sagu) and some implications.

Aims: To determine the presence and contribution of diazotrophic bacteria to nitrogen concentrations in edible starch derived from the sago palm (Metroxylon sagu).

Methods And Results: Isolation of diazotrophic bacteria and analysis of nitrogen fixation were conducted on pith, root and sago starch samples. Acetylene reduction showed that five of ten starch samples were fixing nitrogen.

Haemolytic fungi isolated from sago starch in Papua New Guinea.

Sago haemolytic disease (SHD) is a rare but often fatal illness linked to consumption of stale sago starch in Papua New Guinea. Although the aetiology of SHD remains unknown, mycotoxins are suspected. This study investigated whether fungi isolated from Papua New Guinean sago starch were haemolytic.

Spontaneous fermentation of traditional sago starch in Papua New Guinea.

Sago starch is an important dietary carbohydrate in lowland Papua New Guinea (PNG). An investigation was conducted to determine whether microbes play a role in its preservation using traditional methods. In 12 stored sago samples collected from PNG villages, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were present (> or = 3.