Polar Seas May Hold Powerful Antibiotic

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28629, 4 July 1958, Page 9

Polar Seas May Hold Powerful Antibiotic

(Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 2. Antarctic seas contain an abundant and powerful antibiotic which apparently protects the birds, fish and mammals of the far south from all bacteria] diseases, the American Institute of Biological Sciences has been told by Dr. John McNeill Sieburfh, of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Sieburth, as a representative of the institute, accompanied the 1957 Antarctic expedition .of the Argentine Navy which took part in the International Geophysical Year programme. The North American Newspaper Alliance, reporting this, said the fact that the Antarctic regions were essentially free of disease had long been observed. A common cold, as far as was known, never had been reported south of the Antarctic Circle.

Sick bays on ships were almost deserted while in the region. But as soon as the circle was crossed again coming north nearly everyone started coughing and sneezing and often there were a few cases of pneumonia.

Efforts to bring back seals and penguins almost always failed, the news agency said. No matter how carefully protected, the animals usually succumbed to disease before reaching the United States.

or a few days later. This, it had been suggested was because the Antarctic region was germ-free and the creatures had never developed any resistance. No human baby had ever been born south of the Antarctic Circle, it said. It had been freely speculated that if this ever happened the child never could be brought back to civilisation alive, or it certainly would be dead shortly after arriving. The news agency said Dr. Sieburth’s first clue of the Polar antibiotic came from a Gentoo penguin captured near the Argentine base on the west coast of the Palmer Peninsula. The food of the Gentoos, he had observed, was entirely euphausian shrimp. No germs of any kind could be found in the penguins or in the shrimps. The news agency said his report indicated that the antibacterial activity was located in their bright green phytoplanktonladen stomachs.

[Phytoplankton are microscopic plants found in countless millions in surface waters of the seas.]

Antarctic phytoplankton samples indicated a marked antibiotic activity (such as would result from penicillin or streptomycin) in concentrations as low as five parts per million on a dry-weight basis. ,

“A similar differential antibiotic activity was exhibited by the phytoplankton, the shrimps eating the phytoplankton and the stomach contents of the penguins that had been feeding on the shrimps.”

The news agency said the phytoplankton antibiotic was at the base of the entire food cycle of the Antarctic and apparently was passed on to all the animals in this cycle.

This did not explain why ships could almost lock up their sick bays after crossing the Antarctic Circle.

Sailors, by and large, did not eat the flesh of Antarctic animals —except for occasional seal steaks. But the animals did not breathe out any germs which could withstand the Antarctic cold. The Antarctic antibiotic had not yet been isolated, the news agency said. But Dr. Sieburth had brought back considerable quantities of material. They now were the subof co-operative studies at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. ONE WAY OUT It’s pleasant, it’s easy. Get rid of coughs, colds and soie throats with Baxters* Lung Preserver. Baxters cuts phlegm, promotes expectoration, keeps air passages clear Pure. safe, and palatable for all ages.Baxters, Ltd., Christchurch. —Advt.