title: Inactivation of protozoan parasites in food, water, and environmental systems.
abstract: Protozoan parasites can survive under ambient and refrigerated storage conditions when associated with a range of substrates. Consequently, various treatments have been used to inactivate protozoan parasites (Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and Cyclospora) in food, water, and environmental systems. Physical treatments that affect survival or removal of protozoan parasites include freezing, heating, filtration, sedimentation, UV light, irradiation, high pressure, and ultrasound. Ozone is a more effective chemical disinfectant than chlorine or chlorine dioxide for inactivation of protozoan parasites in water systems. However, sequential inactivation treatments can optimize existing treatments through synergistic effects. Careful selection of methods to evaluate inactivation treatments is needed because many studies that have employed vital dye stains and in vitro excystation have produced underestimations of the effectiveness of these treatments.
authors.affiliation: Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797, USA. mericks@griffin.uga.edu
authors.forename: Marilyn C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.forename: Ynes R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Ortega
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021744:Cyclospora / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D016266:Food Parasitology; D005872:Giardia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D014867:Water / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D014867:Water