The survival of micro-organnisum in fleece wool

Abstract

The longevity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in wool is of interest not only because this bacterium may cause green and other discolourations of fleece wool, but also because it is a plant and animal pathogen. Normal Corriedale fleece wool and green-stained wool held in the laboratory were sampled for micro-organisms by the plate-count method for five years. During this period the numbers in both samples dropped from 10⁹ to 10⁶ micro-organisms per g. This high survival rate is discussed in the light of previous findings.