Various diseases such as HIV / AIDS and bird flu was originally derived from the wild and then transmitted to humans. But in recent cases, the disease infects humans instead of wild life and kill one species of coral reefs.

Recently, scientists from the University of Georgia reveals the cause of death of coral reef species Deer Horn (Elkhorn) in the waters of the Caribbean. The cause is a bacterium Serratia marcescens are more often found in the human body.

In humans, this bacteria is the trigger of a variety of problems such as infections in salurahn breath, open sores and urinary tract. These bacteria are spread and infect other humans through the feces and urine from people who are already infected.

One of the scientists involved in the study, James Porter said that during this bacterium Serratia marcescens infection occurs only in humans. Therefore very surprising if it turns out these bacteria also infect deer horn coral reefs.

Porter says, Serratia marcescens bacteria cause disease White Pox on Deer Horn coral reefs and cause death. Bacterial infection is characterized by the appearance of whitish spots, which eventually create a network of coral reef cavities and kelihtan case.

Causes of White Pox infection ascertained on the coral reefs of human origin, because the bacteria Serratia marcescens was not found in other living species. In fact, according to Porter, the snails destroying coral reefs do not have this bacteria.

Believed, this bacteria is transmitted by human to coral reefs through the feces and urine. In the surrounding islands, sanitation and sewerage is not well managed so that pollute the waters and eventually infect the coral reefs.

Based pemuan it, Porter concluded that the disease in humans helped trigger the destruction of coral reefs that reach 50 percent in the last 15 years. Quoted from LiveScience,, the highest rate of damage experienced by coral reefs Deer Horn that is 90 percent.

Deer Horn coral reefs or coral Elkhorn coral is a species whose size is very large and can grow up to 2 meters. As the name implies, its shape is easily recognizable because it has many branches and wide like a deer’s antlers.