title: Detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in drinking water.
abstract: The world's largest outbreak of waterborne toxoplasmosis occurred in a municipality in the western Canadian province of British Columbia. When drinking water emerged as a possible source of infection during the outbreak investigation, a laboratory method was needed to attempt detection of the parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The method developed was based on the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Collection of large-volume drinking water samples and cartridge filter processing were unchanged, although identification of Toxoplasma oocysts in the filter retentate was carried out by using a previously described rodent model. Validation of the method developed was tested by using oocysts from a well-characterized Toxoplasma strain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, British Columbia Ministry of Health, Vancouver, Canada. isaacren@unixg.ubc.ca
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Isaac-Renton
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bowie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Shokeir
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dubey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014125:Toxoplasmosis, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D014867:Water / Q000469:parasitology*; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D014867:Water