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Water Intelligence Online

Impact of Sample Collection and Processing on the Infectivity of Cryptosporidium

D.E. Huffman, A. Coulliette, T. Slifko, J.B. Rose

University of South Florida, 140 Seventh Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701. USA

Routine studies on the infectivity of C. parvum oocysts in-vitro are now possible with the advent of the FDM-MPN cell culture methodology. From a public health standpoint, it has become increasingly important to not only discern the presence of oocysts in untreated and treated waters, but to identify whether these oocysts are infectious and could threaten public health. However, the effects of sample collection and processing have not been previously developed or studied.

The objective of this project was to identify potential deleterious effects of select methods of water sample collection and processing on the viability and infectivity of C. parvum oocysts.
Immunomagnetic separation using either the HACH or the Dynal protocols does not alter the infectivity of C. parvum oocysts. None of the sample collection and processing methods evaluated for concentration of raw and finished water samples (USEPA Method 1623 using either the Gelman Envirocheck filter or the Corning Cryptec cartridge filter, USEPA ICR Method and continuous flow centrifugation) altered the infectivity of C. parvum oocysts.