Isolation, Identification of the Water-borne Protozoan Parasites
357
4 Conclusions
• Cryplosporidium and Giardia are present in sewage, effluent, and surface
waters in Israel supporting previous results (Zuckerman et aI.1997).
• Agricultural areas have an important impact on the quality of water sources.
Lake Kinneret Basin is a good example. Intense cattle activity increases the
input of Cryplosporidium oocysts into surface waters.
• Sprinkle, surface, and subsurface dripping irrigation do not prevent soil and
crop contamination with protozoan parasites.
• Soil irrigated with effluents containing protozoan parasites contains both
parasites at different depths (up to 90 cm).
• Crops irrigated with poor-quality reused water are heavily contaminated mainly
with Cryplosporidium, but also with Giardia.
• In summary, efficient wastewater treatment is a major prerequisite to reduce
soil and crop contamination with Giardia and Cryplosporidium.
Acknowledgments
The presented data are part of studies partially supported by the following
institutional bodies: Water Research Institute (Technion), Water Commissioner
Office (Israel), and Bi-National Agricultural Research & Development Fund
(BARD)
References
Anon (1990) Cryptosporidium in water supplies. Department of the Environment,
Department of Health. HMSO Publ, London
Anon (1992) (National Cryptosporidium Survey Group) A survey of Cryptosporidium
oocysts in surface and ground waters in the UK. J Inst Wat Eng Mgmt 6: pp 697-703
APHA (1995) Standard methods for the examination of water and Wastewater, 19 th edn
Armon R, Greenberg Z, Shelef G (1995) Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum in
surface waters of Israel, and their clinical prevalence for the period 1923-1991. In:
Protozoan parasites and water, pp 76-79. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge,
UK
Campbell AT, Robertson LJ, Smith HV (1992) Viability of Cryptosporidium parvum
oocysts: correlation of in vitro excystation with inclusion or exclusion of fluorogenic
vital dyes. Appl Environ Microbiol 58: 3488-3493
Current WL (1994) Cryptosporidium parvum: household transmission. Ann Intern Med
120: 518-519
El-On J, Dagan R, Frazer D, Deckelbaum RJ (1994) Detection of Cryptosporidium and
Giardia intestinalis in Bedouin children from southern Israel. Int J Parasitol 24: 409411
357
4 Conclusions
• Cryplosporidium and Giardia are present in sewage, effluent, and surface
waters in Israel supporting previous results (Zuckerman et aI.1997).
• Agricultural areas have an important impact on the quality of water sources.
Lake Kinneret Basin is a good example. Intense cattle activity increases the
input of Cryplosporidium oocysts into surface waters.
• Sprinkle, surface, and subsurface dripping irrigation do not prevent soil and
crop contamination with protozoan parasites.
• Soil irrigated with effluents containing protozoan parasites contains both
parasites at different depths (up to 90 cm).
• Crops irrigated with poor-quality reused water are heavily contaminated mainly
with Cryplosporidium, but also with Giardia.
• In summary, efficient wastewater treatment is a major prerequisite to reduce
soil and crop contamination with Giardia and Cryplosporidium.
Acknowledgments
The presented data are part of studies partially supported by the following
institutional bodies: Water Research Institute (Technion), Water Commissioner
Office (Israel), and Bi-National Agricultural Research & Development Fund
(BARD)
References
Anon (1990) Cryptosporidium in water supplies. Department of the Environment,
Department of Health. HMSO Publ, London
Anon (1992) (National Cryptosporidium Survey Group) A survey of Cryptosporidium
oocysts in surface and ground waters in the UK. J Inst Wat Eng Mgmt 6: pp 697-703
APHA (1995) Standard methods for the examination of water and Wastewater, 19 th edn
Armon R, Greenberg Z, Shelef G (1995) Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum in
surface waters of Israel, and their clinical prevalence for the period 1923-1991. In:
Protozoan parasites and water, pp 76-79. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge,
UK
Campbell AT, Robertson LJ, Smith HV (1992) Viability of Cryptosporidium parvum
oocysts: correlation of in vitro excystation with inclusion or exclusion of fluorogenic
vital dyes. Appl Environ Microbiol 58: 3488-3493
Current WL (1994) Cryptosporidium parvum: household transmission. Ann Intern Med
120: 518-519
El-On J, Dagan R, Frazer D, Deckelbaum RJ (1994) Detection of Cryptosporidium and
Giardia intestinalis in Bedouin children from southern Israel. Int J Parasitol 24: 409411