Detecting Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia by coagulation concentration and real-time PCR quantification

Abstract

Rapid and sensitive pathogen detection methods are essential for the effective functioning of the water treatment industry, yet for many pathogens, effective detection and removal methods are still lacking. Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and Giardia lamblia cysts are two of the most common waterborne pathogens currently infecting the water supply. In this study, a new method was developed for the detection of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and Giardia lamblia cysts. The method includes multi-steps as coagulation concentration of (oo)cysts in water, the dissolution of the resulting flocs into a small volume using acid, filtration of the (oo)cysts solution, and DNA extraction, purification, and examination using real-time PCR. The method was tested using spiked tap water and reservoir water as references, and the mean recovery ranged from 19.6% to 97.6% for oocysts, and from 51.4% to 98.7% for cysts. The method is economical and convenient, and is especially suitable for relatively high turbidity surface water.

Keywords

Cryptosporidium parvum / detection method / Giardia lamblia / surface water

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge financial support provided for this work by the National High-Tech R&D Program of China (No. 2012AA062607), the Hundred Talents Program, Knowledge Innovation Program, Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-452, T08 and JC406), Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology (No. 2009J01262), and Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology (No. 3502Z20116007).

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg