title: Monitoring of Waterborne Parasites in Two Drinking Water Treatment Plants: A Study in Sarawak, Malaysia.
abstract: The occurrence of waterborne parasites coupled with water parameters at various processing sites of two drinking water treatment plants (A and B) and seven distribution system (DS) sites in Sarawak, Malaysia were studied. Ten liters of water underwent immunomagnetic separation (IMS) technique to detect the presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium (oo)cysts. The remaining supernatant was used to detect other parasites whilst 50 mL of water sample was each used in the detection of free-living amoebae and fecal coliforms. Sampled water was positive for Giardia (32.9%; 28/85), Cryptosporidium (18.8%; 16/85) followed by Spirometra ova-like (25.9%; 22/85), Blastocystis-like (25.9%; 22/85), nematode larvae-like (8.2%; 7/85) and Taenia ova-like (1.2%; 1/85). Meanwhile, 90.2% (55/61) samples were positive for Acanthamoeba and Naegleria via cultivation and of these, 11 isolates were confirmed as Acanthamoeba genotype T3 (5/7) and T4 (2/7) followed by Naegleria sp. (4/11), Naegleria italica (2/11), Naegleria australiensis (1/11), Naegleria angularis (1/11) and Vahlkampfia sp. (3/11). Cryptosporidium, Acanthamoeba and Naegleria were also detected in one of the seven tested DS sites. Only Giardia and Cryptosporidium showed significant correlations with fluoride and fecal coliforms. These results describe the occurrence of waterborne parasites that will assist key stakeholders in mitigating contamination at the specific sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. reenarichard88@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Reena Leeba
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. init@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: Init
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ithoi
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. azlan.jaime@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohamad Azlan
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abd Majid
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. wanyus@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: Wan Yusoff
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wan Sulaiman
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. tantianchye@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: Tian Chye
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. veeranoot@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: Veeranoot
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nissapatorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. limailian@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: Yvonne Ai Lian
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005872:Giardia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016840:Lobosea / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008296:Malaysia; D010802:Phylogeny; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000032:analysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D018508:Water Purification; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: Malaysia; drinking water treatment plants; processing sites; water parameters; waterborne parasites