Forschungsbericht 2016
The epidemiology of protozoan parasites: Entamoeba, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium along the rivers Elbe and Rhine – The Wastewater Nexus
The epidemiology of protozoan parasites: Entamoeba, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium along the rivers Elbe and Rhine – The Wastewater Nexus. Work is on-going to investigate the epidemiology of three protozoan parasites of public health significance viz: Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia duodenalis, and Cryptosporidium parvum. These organisms are major pathogens in food and waterborne transmission of infections and are able to persist in the environment due to the robustness of the cysts and oocysts. Surface waters are affected by fecal contamination resulting from effluents of wastewater treatment plants, livestock farming and straying animals. Thus, the widespread utilization of surface waters for drinking water and recreational purposes poses definite public health risks. This investigation targets recreational areas and other important catchments along the Elbe and Rhine rivers. The overall objective is to gain an in-depth understanding of the transmission dynamics of the pathogens by examining the links between wastewater discharge and the presence, prevalence, and spread of the pathogens, as well as the role of Mussels as host and their potential value as biological indicators of the presence of the parasites in water. There is need to build a detailed epidemiological knowledge of these parasites to make existing experimentally established principles more directly applicable to practical prevention. Findings will have direct relevance to the Ministry of Health departm ent of infectious disease control which establishes water-quality standards for pathogens to protect public health. Findings will also contribute to on-going efforts to develop an effective biological tool, with Mussel as the choice model, for sanitary biomonitoring of water bodies Stichworte
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