We evaluated the efficiency of five membrane filters for recovery of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and Giardia lamblia cysts. These filters included the Pall Life Sciences Envirochek (EC) standard filtration and Envirochek high-volume (EC-HV) membrane filters, the Millipore flatbed membrane filter, the Sartorius flatbed membrane filter (SMF), and the Filta-Max (FM) depth filter. Distilled and ...

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in companion and stray dogs in Kerman, Iran. Faecal samples were randomly collected from 548 dogs (450 companion and 98 stray). Cryptosporidium oocysts were concentrated using the formalin ether sedimentation method according to the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique. Cryptosporidium oocy...

Between the March and May of 2000, stool specimens were collected from children aged <5 in six pre-school crèches and clinics in the Jeddah area of Saudi Arabia. Sixty-three (25%) of the children had diarrhoeal disease but the other 190 were asymptomatic. When the stool samples were stained and examined for the oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. and other enteric protozoa, 20 (32%) of the symptoma...

materials and methods a total of 228 fecal samples were collected from residents of rural areas of hamadan, west of iran. each fecal sample was divided into two parts, one kept frozen at -20˚c for ag-capture elisa and the other in 10% formalin for the ap staining method. cryptosporidium ag-detection elisa procedure was performed according to the manual of the manufacturer. the preserved samples...

This study evaluated the removal of viable Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and changes in zeta potential during alum coagulation and sedimentation. Experiments were designed to evaluate oocyst removal and oocyst zeta potential at three initial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and a wide range of alum doses and coagulation pH values. The study showed that changes in the initial DOC c...

BACKGROUND Cryptosporidium spp. is a widespread protozoan parasite involving humans and animals. OBJECTIVES This study was carried out to evaluate the immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and PCR results for more accurate diagnosis of faecal specimens. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty six faecal human specimens of Cryptosporidium oocysts were examined by PCR and IFA in Calgary, Canada. In statistical a...

Various constituents in clinical specimens, particularly feces, can inhibit the PCR assay and lead to false-negative results. To ensure that negative results of a diagnostic PCR assay are true, it should be properly monitored by an inhibition control. In this study, a cloning vector harboring a modified target DNA sequence (≈375 bp) was constructed to be used as a competitive internal amplifica...

Wildlife are increasingly recognized as important biological reservoirs of zoonotic species of Cryptosporidium that might contaminate water and cause human exposure to this protozoal parasite. The habitat range of the yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) overlaps extensively with the watershed boundaries of municipal water supplies for California communities along the foothills of the S...

Previously we reported the unique Cryptosporidium sp. "c" genotype (e.g., Sbey03c, Sbey05c, Sbld05c, Sltl05c) from three species of Spermophilus ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi, Spermophilus beldingi, Spermophilus lateralis) located throughout California, USA. This follow-up work characterizes the morphology and animal infectivity of this novel genotype as the final step in proposing it ...

Pilotand full-scale evaluations of Giardia and Cryptosporidium cyst removals through direct filtration and conventional water treatment were conducted by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. Cysts were seeded continuously in a step dose at a 0.5 gpm pilot plant, and in a spike at a 900 gpm full-scale plant; both plants were operated under conventional treatment and direct filtration re...