1. Diversity of human pathogens likely to persist in soil

Soils are home to a vast biodiversity of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. A fraction of the micro-organisms likely to be present in soils are known for their pathogenic power and undesirable effects on human health. This category of pathogenic micro-organisms includes bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses (table 1 and figure 1 ). In this sense, soil can be considered a reservoir of pathogens. The presence of certain pathogenic micro-organisms in the soil may only be transitory. In other cases, persistence over long periods is proven. This first part deals with the various categories of pathogens...