Detection of oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. and cysts of Giardia spp. in samples of raw surface water from the Pardo River, Botucatu - São Paulo

• Grant number: 13/23557-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2013
• End date: November 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Luciene Maura Mascarini Serra
• Grantee: Carla Montanari Camargo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Waterborne diseases, especially those caused by intestinal protozoa have emerged as a major public health problem in the last 25 years. There is an intrinsic relationship between access to safe water, adequate sanitation infrastructure, and human health. In Brazil, 65% of hospital admissions, especially children, are caused by illnesses from the consumption of water contaminated with some kind of pathogen. The present study aims to verify the occurrence of protozoa Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in raw water surface from the Pardo River, located in Botucatu/SP, as well as determine the seasonality of these pathogens over a year of monthly collections. It will be collected 5L of raw water from the Pardo river which supplies Botucatu/SP and several other nearby towns. Both the processing and the final diagnosis will be conducted at the Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu/SP, according to the standardized methodology by Franco et.al., 2001. (AU)