TY - JOUR
T1 - Protozoan pathogens blastocystis and giardia spp. in roof-harvested rainwater
T2 - The need to investigate the role of the common brushtail possum (trichosurus vulpecula) and other potential sources of zoonotic transmission
AU - Waters, Edward
AU - Ahmed, Warish
AU - Hamilton, Kerry Ann
AU - Plaksins, Deniss
AU - Stark, Damian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© IWA Publishing 2019.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Globally, protozoan pathogens are an increasingly important cause of reported disease outbreaks, with the majority of documented outbreaks between 2004 and 2010 reported in Australia. While the microbiological contamination of roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) has been well studied, limited information is available regarding contamination with protozoan pathogens. In this study, rainwater (n = 134) and possum fecal samples (n = 20) were screened for the presence of several protozoan pathogens, including Blastocystis spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., Dientamoeba fragilis, and Entamoeba histolytica using the multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction. While Cryptosporidium spp. was only detected in two possum fecal samples (10%) and Giardia spp. was only detected in three RHRW samples (2.23%, n = 134), Blastocystis spp. was detected in both possum feces (25%) and RHRW (5.22%) samples. Dientamoeba fragilis and Entamoeba histolytica were not detected in any samples. These findings highlight protozoan pathogens as a potentially important area of focus for rainwater quality assessment. Furthermore, while possums are suggested as a potential source of Blastocystis spp. in RHRW, sources of this pathogen in RHRW warrant further investigation.
AB - Globally, protozoan pathogens are an increasingly important cause of reported disease outbreaks, with the majority of documented outbreaks between 2004 and 2010 reported in Australia. While the microbiological contamination of roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) has been well studied, limited information is available regarding contamination with protozoan pathogens. In this study, rainwater (n = 134) and possum fecal samples (n = 20) were screened for the presence of several protozoan pathogens, including Blastocystis spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., Dientamoeba fragilis, and Entamoeba histolytica using the multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction. While Cryptosporidium spp. was only detected in two possum fecal samples (10%) and Giardia spp. was only detected in three RHRW samples (2.23%, n = 134), Blastocystis spp. was detected in both possum feces (25%) and RHRW (5.22%) samples. Dientamoeba fragilis and Entamoeba histolytica were not detected in any samples. These findings highlight protozoan pathogens as a potentially important area of focus for rainwater quality assessment. Furthermore, while possums are suggested as a potential source of Blastocystis spp. in RHRW, sources of this pathogen in RHRW warrant further investigation.
KW - Blastocystis spp.
KW - Cryptosporidium spp.
KW - Giardia spp.
KW - Possum
KW - Public health
KW - Rainwater
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U2 - 10.2166/washdev.2019.064
DO - 10.2166/washdev.2019.064
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096493234
SN - 2043-9083
VL - 9
SP - 780
EP - 785
JO - Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
JF - Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
IS - 4
ER -