Evaluation of three flocculation methods for the purification of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts from water samples.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of three flocculation methods for the purification of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts from tap water.


RESULTS
Ferric sulphate, aluminium sulphate and calcium carbonate were compared for their recovery efficiency of C. parvum oocysts from tap water. Lower mean recovery was achieved by calcium carbonate (38.8%) compared with ferric sulphate (61.5%) and aluminium sulphate (58.1%) for the recovery of 2.5 x 10(5) oocysts l(-1); 2.5 oocysts l(-1) and 1 oocyst l(-1) were adequately purified using ferric sulphate flocculation. In vitro excystation experiments showed that ferric sulphate flocculation does not markedly reduce the viability of oocysts.


CONCLUSIONS
Ferric sulphate flocculation is a simple and effective tool for the purification of C. parvum oocysts from tap water.


CONCLUSIONS
The high recovery rates and low impact on oocyst viability provided by ferric sulphate flocculation might be useful for the detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in environmental water samples.
Karanis
P
P
Institute for Medical Parasitology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Germany. Panagiotis.Karanis@medizin.uni-koeln.de
Kimura
A
A
D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005428:Flocculation Tests / Q000379:methods; D014871:Water Microbiology
D000534:Alum Compounds; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C041524:aluminum sulfate; C024823:ferric sulfate; D002119:Calcium Carbonate