Detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New Perspectives
Among the major issues linked with producing safe water for consumption is the presence of the parasitic protozoa <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. Since they are both responsible for gastrointestinal illnesses that can be waterborne, their monitoring is cru...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/6/1175 |
| _version_ | 1797484195476406272 |
|---|---|
| author | Marie-Stéphanie Fradette Alexander I. Culley Steve J. Charette |
| author_facet | Marie-Stéphanie Fradette Alexander I. Culley Steve J. Charette |
| author_sort | Marie-Stéphanie Fradette |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Among the major issues linked with producing safe water for consumption is the presence of the parasitic protozoa <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. Since they are both responsible for gastrointestinal illnesses that can be waterborne, their monitoring is crucial, especially in water sources feeding treatment plants. Although their discovery was made in the early 1900s and even before, it was only in 1999 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a standardized protocol for the detection of these parasites, modified and named today the U.S. EPA 1623.1 Method. It involves the flow-through filtration of a large volume of the water of interest, the elution of the biological material retained on the filter, the purification of the (oo)cysts, and the detection by immunofluorescence of the target parasites. Since the 1990s, several molecular-biology-based techniques were also developed to detect <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> cells from environmental or clinical samples. The application of U.S. EPA 1623.1 as well as numerous biomolecular methods are reviewed in this article, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed guiding the readers, such as graduate students, researchers, drinking water managers, epidemiologists, and public health specialists, through the ever-expanding number of techniques available in the literature for the detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in water. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:59:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-571c70959524408b90ff32e30d8f95b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:59:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-571c70959524408b90ff32e30d8f95b52023-11-23T18:04:13ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072022-06-01106117510.3390/microorganisms10061175Detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New PerspectivesMarie-Stéphanie Fradette0Alexander I. Culley1Steve J. Charette2Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaInstitut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaInstitut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaAmong the major issues linked with producing safe water for consumption is the presence of the parasitic protozoa <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. Since they are both responsible for gastrointestinal illnesses that can be waterborne, their monitoring is crucial, especially in water sources feeding treatment plants. Although their discovery was made in the early 1900s and even before, it was only in 1999 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a standardized protocol for the detection of these parasites, modified and named today the U.S. EPA 1623.1 Method. It involves the flow-through filtration of a large volume of the water of interest, the elution of the biological material retained on the filter, the purification of the (oo)cysts, and the detection by immunofluorescence of the target parasites. Since the 1990s, several molecular-biology-based techniques were also developed to detect <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> cells from environmental or clinical samples. The application of U.S. EPA 1623.1 as well as numerous biomolecular methods are reviewed in this article, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed guiding the readers, such as graduate students, researchers, drinking water managers, epidemiologists, and public health specialists, through the ever-expanding number of techniques available in the literature for the detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in water.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/6/1175<i>Cryptosporidium</i><i>Giardia</i>detectionwater samplesU.S. EPA Method 1623.1molecular biology |
| spellingShingle | Marie-Stéphanie Fradette Alexander I. Culley Steve J. Charette Detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New Perspectives Microorganisms <i>Cryptosporidium</i> <i>Giardia</i> detection water samples U.S. EPA Method 1623.1 molecular biology |
| title | Detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New Perspectives |
| title_full | Detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New Perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New Perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New Perspectives |
| title_short | Detection of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New Perspectives |
| title_sort | detection of i cryptosporidium i spp and i giardia i spp in environmental water samples a journey into the past and new perspectives |
| topic | <i>Cryptosporidium</i> <i>Giardia</i> detection water samples U.S. EPA Method 1623.1 molecular biology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/6/1175 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariestephaniefradette detectionoficryptosporidiumisppandigiardiaisppinenvironmentalwatersamplesajourneyintothepastandnewperspectives AT alexandericulley detectionoficryptosporidiumisppandigiardiaisppinenvironmentalwatersamplesajourneyintothepastandnewperspectives AT stevejcharette detectionoficryptosporidiumisppandigiardiaisppinenvironmentalwatersamplesajourneyintothepastandnewperspectives |