Cryptosporidium Oocyst Contamination in Drinking Water: A Case Study in Italy

Cristina Pignata, Silvia Bonetta, Sara Bonetta, Simone M. Cacciò, Anna R. Sannella, Giorgio Gilli and Elisabetta Carraro
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Cristina Pignata: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5bis, 10126 Torino, Italy
Silvia Bonetta: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5bis, 10126 Torino, Italy
Sara Bonetta: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5bis, 10126 Torino, Italy
Simone M. Cacciò: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
Anna R. Sannella: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
Giorgio Gilli: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5bis, 10126 Torino, Italy
Elisabetta Carraro: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Via Santena 5bis, 10126 Torino, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-10

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) located in a rural area of northern Italy. Influent and effluent samples were collected at the DWTP over three years (2013–2016). In parallel, tap water samples from a public drinking fountain were collected as well. All samples were analyzed for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts by a common method based on an immunomagnetic separation (IMS)/immunofluorescence assay (IFA), complemented by 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. A reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) protocol was added to evaluate oocyst viability. The results highlighted a high variability of oocyst concentrations across all samples (mean 4.3 ± 5.8/100 L) and a high variability in the percentage of DAPI-positive specimens (mean 48.2% ± 40.3%). Conversely, RT-PCR did not reveal the presence of viable C. parvum and C. hominis oocysts. A nested PCR targeting Cryptosporidium 18S ribosomal DNA, carried out in two water samples, confirmed the presence of a Cryptosporidium genotype associated with wild animals in the river and in tap water. The results obtained underline the vulnerability of the investigated surface water to Cryptosporidium spp. contamination. Although the recovered Cryptosporidium genotype is not a human pathogen, its presence demonstrates the existence of a potential pathogen Cryptosporidium spp. contamination risk. Moreover, these results underline the importance of also considering unconventional (not bacterial) biological contaminations (protozoa) in water resources in rural areas, including those of developed countries.

Keywords: Cryptosporidium spp.; waterborne disease; rural areas; RT-PCR; genotyping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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