Ballast water discharged from vessels harbours a cocktail of potential pathogens.
Abstract
Commercial ships have spread many species around the world1,2,3, but little is known of the extent and potential significance of ship-mediated transfer of microorganisms3,4. Here we show that the global movement of ballast water by ships creates a long-distance dispersal mechanism for human pathogens and may be important in the worldwide distribution of microorganisms, as well as for the epidemiology of waterborne diseases affecting plants and animals.
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Ruiz, G., Rawlings, T., Dobbs, F. et al. Global spread of microorganisms by ships. Nature 408, 49–50 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35040695
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35040695
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