Abstract
OBJECTIVESFor the first time, Boliwong, an indigenous community in the Philippines, was surveyed for the prevalence of Cryptosporidium from April to December 2017.METHODSCryptosporidium oocysts were detected in samples from the river, creek, and water pumps via immunomagnetic separation techniques, and from human and animal concentrated faecal samples using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique.RESULTSSeven of the 24 water samples (29.2%) were positive for Cryptosporidium, with the highest concentration (0.8 oocyst/L) detected in the creek. Of 35 fecal samples from different animal groups, 8 (21.6%) were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. The highest intensity of oocyst shedding was detected in dogs (χ2 =8.00). Of the 137 human fecal samples, 39 (28.5%) were infected with Cryptosporidium. In this study, 3 risk factors were found to be associated with infection: (1) location (crude odds ratio [cOR], 16.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.11 to 127.41; p=0.008), (2) drinking water from the natural spring (cOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.82; p<0.05), and (3) using an open pit as a sanitary toilet facility (cOR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.14 to 5.20; p<0.05). When the cOR was adjusted, using an open pit as a sanitary toilet facility remained a significant risk factor of infection (adjusted OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.90; p<0.05).CONCLUSIONSThere is a potentially emerging Cryptosporidium zoonosis in Boliwong, Lagawe, Philippines. It is recommended that the toilet facilities and the water system in the community be rehabilitated to avoid any possible disease outbreak. Health education is also needed in the community to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation practices.
Highlights
Two million people across the globe die every year due to waterborne diseases [1]
Because the infective oocysts are microscopic and can pass through traditional filtration systems, Cryptosporidium is considered as an important public health concern
The results of this study showed that Cryptosporidium oocysts were present across the water sources, animals, and human inhabitants in Boliwong
Summary
2018, Korean Society of Epidemiology the subphylum Apicomplexa, is recognized as a major cause of the increasing number of water-associated outbreaks in the past 10 years [2,3,4] It is transmitted through the intake of food and water contaminated with transmissible oocysts [5]. Cryptosporidium infects a wide range of human and animal hosts, and the density of their infective oocysts is sufficient to pollute the aquatic environment, promoting a wide-range of zoonotic infections [6] Since it is ubiquitous, and because the infective oocysts are microscopic (as small as 2 μm) and can pass through traditional filtration systems, Cryptosporidium is considered as an important public health concern. It causes symptoms of watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain, weight loss, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and even mor-
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