Examination of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in water samples and fecal specimens in Taiwan

Abstract

Giardia and Cryptosporidium have emerged as waterborne pathogens of concern over the past few decades. Twenty-nine source water samples were collected from water treatment facilities and checked for the occurrence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium along with some water quality parameters. These facilities include ten large-scale treatment plants near major metropolitan areas, and eight simple facilities in small and secluded communities. The indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was used for the detection of cysts and oocysts in water samples. In addition, fecal specimens were collected from watersheds providing source water for the treatment plants, and the presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium was detected with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA). The mean concentrations of protozoa in large-scale plants were 66.6 cysts/100 litres and 89.2 oocysts/100 litres, whilesimple facilities contained 1.27 cysts/100 litres and 0.28 oocysts/100 litres, respectively. The concentrations of these two parasites exhibit the highest correlation with turbidity than any other water quality parameters. Amongthe 101 fecal specimens, eleven were positive for Giardia and 22 were positive for Cryptosporidium. It was also found that the occurrence of these two pathogens in the source water was directly linked to the surrounding farming activities, suggesting that farming activities should be kept at a certain distance from the watersheds.

Prevalence and genotyping of Giardia in husbandry systems in Taiwan

“…None of the Giardia was detected in any specimens of pigs, horses, and avian species. In the former studies, the positive-for-Giardia analysis by ELISA in the feeding animal specimens were 10.9% (11 of 101) in Taiwan (Hsu et al 2000) and 12.5% (4 of 32) in southern Taiwan (Hsu et al 1999). The detective percentage of Giardia in the avian fecal specimens ranged from 0 to 1%, and those in the livestock fecal specimens ranged from 13.2 to 16.7%.…”

“…In Taiwan, Giardia cysts were generally found in the water samples and fecal specimens (Hsu et al 1999(Hsu et al , 2000Hsu 2003). However, such results have never been confirmed by molecular techniques, and the epidemiological survey of Giardia spp.…”

Health Effects Associated with Wastewater Treatment, Disposal, and Reuse

“…Results show that parasite sedimentation in rivers is high and peak pathogen levels in raw water may be due to urban runoff and the resuspension of particles. A study of water treatment facilities in Taiwan used the indirect immunofluorescence assay and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to investigate the occurrence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in water and fecal samples (Hsu et al 2000). The highest correlation measured was between the concentration of the two parasites and turbidity.…”

Pathogen Management in Surface Waters: Practical Considerations for Reducing Public Health Risk

“…Pathogen contamination of water systems is a major public health challenge in both developing and developed countries across the globe [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. The pathogens of concern to human health vary between aquatic systems depending on the nature of the pathogen source and the intended use of the water.…”