Isolation and identification of bacillus species from soil samples in anthrax epidemic area

Objective To isolate and identify bacillus species in soil samples in anthrax epidemic area and evaluate the disinfection effect and understand the distributions of common bacillus species in the area. Methods Sixty soil samples were collected from the anthrax epidemic area to isolate and identify related bacillus species with PCR assay. Results No Bacillus anthracis was identified, but 13 strains of Bacillus licheniformis, 8 strains of Bacillus subtilis, 11 strains of Bacillus pumilus and 1 strain of Bacillus cereus were identified in 33 gene fragments from 48 clones by sequencing and blast alignment. The specificities of the primers for Bacillus megatherium and Bacillus circulans were not high. Conclusion The disinfection effect in the anthrax epidemic area was good. The related bacillus species exist widely in the soil, suggesting that their identifications are needed in anthrax surveillance by specific genes amplification