Detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)cysts by IFA, PCR and LAMP in surface water from Rasht, Iran

Abstract

The study reveals that the investigated water supplies were contaminated by Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The LAMP assay has advantages for detection and screening of these protozoa at relatively low concentration in water samples. The three assays applied are complimentary but no single one will give the true prevalence of these parasites in surface water samples. However, each method has its own advantages and disadvantages dependent of the aim and the study design; a combination of detection methods should be applied to discover whether water is, or is not, contaminated with (oo)cysts. This is the first report on the occurrence of (oo)cysts in Iranian surface waters to compare the results of parasite detection obtained with the different methods.