Biomaterial Database

Effect of sunlight on the infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum in seawater. 2007

Abid M Nasser, and Lital Telser, and Yeshayahu Nitzan

Water Quality Research Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Ben-Zvi Road 69, P.O. Box 8255, Tel-Aviv 61082, Israel. Abid.nasser@phlta.health.gov.il

The prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms in seawater can result in waterborne and food borne outbreaks. This study was performed to determine the effect of sunlight and salinity on the die-off of Cryptosporidium parvum. Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, Escherichia coli, and MS2 coliphage were seeded into tap water and seawater samples and then exposed to sunlight. The die-off of C. parvum in seawater, as measured by infectivity, was greater under sunlight (-3.08 log10) than under dark conditions (-1.31 log10). While, no significant difference was recorded in the die-off of C. parvum, under dark conditions, in tap water as compared to seawater (P < 0.05), indicating that the synergistic effect of salinity and sunlight was responsible for the enhanced die-off in seawater. The die-off of MS2 coliphage and E. coli was greater than that observed for C. parvum under all tested conditions. This indicates that these microorganisms cannot serve as indicators for the presence of C. parvum oocysts in seawaters. The results of the study suggest that C. parvum can persist as infectious oocysts for a long time in seawater and can thus pose a serious hazard by direct and indirect contact with humans.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D003624	Darkness	The absence of light.	Darknesses
D004784	Environmental Monitoring	The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment.	Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012623	Seawater	The salinated water of OCEANS AND SEAS that provides habitat for marine organisms.	Sea Water,Sea Waters,Seawaters,Water, Sea,Waters, Sea
D013472	Sunlight	Irradiation directly from the sun.	Sunshine
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D016785	Cryptosporidium parvum	A species of parasitic protozoa that infects humans and most domestic mammals. Its oocysts measure five microns in diameter. These organisms exhibit alternating cycles of sexual and asexual reproduction.	Cryptosporidium parvums,parvum, Cryptosporidium
D054712	Salinity	Degree of saltiness, which is largely the OSMOLAR CONCENTRATION of SODIUM CHLORIDE plus any other SALTS present. It is an ecological factor of considerable importance, influencing the types of organisms that live in an ENVIRONMENT.
D017909	Levivirus	A bacteriophage genus of the family LEVIVIRIDAE, whose viruses contain the short version of the genome and have a separate gene for cell lysis.	Bacteriophage MS2,Coliphage MS2,Enterobacteria phage MS2,Enterobacteria phage R17,Enterobacteria phage f2,Enterobacteria phage fr,MS2 Phage,Phage MS2,Pseudomonas phage PP7,Leviviruses,MS2 Phages,MS2, Bacteriophage,MS2, Coliphage,MS2, Phage,Phage, MS2,Phages, MS2