Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) located in a rural area of northern Italy. Influent and effluent samples were collected at the DWTP over three years (2013–2016). In parallel, tap water samples from a public drinking fountain were collected as well. All samples were analyzed for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts by a common method based on an immunomagnetic separation (IMS)/immunofluorescence assay (IFA), complemented by 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. A reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) protocol was added to evaluate oocyst viability. The results highlighted a high variability of oocyst concentrations across all samples (mean 4.3 ± 5.8/100 L) and a high variability in the percentage of DAPI-positive specimens (mean 48.2% ± 40.3%). Conversely, RT-PCR did not reveal the presence of viable C. parvum and C. hominis oocysts. A nested PCR targeting Cryptosporidium 18S ribosomal DNA, carried out in two water samples, confirmed the presence of a Cryptosporidium genotype associated with wild animals in the river and in tap water. The results obtained underline the vulnerability of the investigated surface water to Cryptosporidium spp. contamination. Although the recovered Cryptosporidium genotype is not a human pathogen, its presence demonstrates the existence of a potential pathogen Cryptosporidium spp. contamination risk. Moreover, these results underline the importance of also considering unconventional (not bacterial) biological contaminations (protozoa) in water resources in rural areas, including those of developed countries.
Highlights
Despite the best available technologies applied in drinking water production and the control and surveillance systems put in place, waterborne diseases are still a public health problem even in industrialized countries.In the United States, 928 waterborne outbreaks were reported from 1971 to 2014
A similar situation has occurred in Europe, where in 2017, seven member states of the European Union reported 27 waterborne outbreaks caused by different microorganisms, including calicivirus, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, hepatitis virus, ‘Viruses other than hepatitis A
The results show the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in the water source analyzed
Summary
Despite the best available technologies applied in drinking water production and the control and surveillance systems put in place, waterborne diseases are still a public health problem even in industrialized countries. In the United States, 928 waterborne outbreaks were reported from 1971 to 2014. Over forty years, various aetiological agents have caused repeated contaminations. Viruses, and unidentified agents have caused most of these epidemics, but outbreaks by parasites such as Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia intestinalis have consistently occurred throughout this period [1]. A similar situation has occurred in Europe, where in 2017, seven member states of the European Union reported 27 waterborne outbreaks caused by different microorganisms, including calicivirus (norovirus), Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, hepatitis virus, ‘Viruses other than hepatitis A. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 2055; doi:10.3390/ijerph16112055 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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