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Comparative Study
. 2014 Apr;90(4):682-9.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0266. Epub 2014 Feb 24.

Comparative study on waterborne parasites between Malaysia and Thailand: A new insight

Thulasi Kumar  1 , Subashini Onichandran, Yvonne A L Lim, Nongyao Sawangjaroen, Init Ithoi, Hemah Andiappan, Cristina C Salibay, Julieta Z Dungca, Tan Tian Chye, Wan Y W Sulaiman, Yee Ling Lau, Veeranoot Nissapatorn
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparative study on waterborne parasites between Malaysia and Thailand: A new insight

Thulasi Kumar et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 Apr.

Abstract

This study investigated the distribution of parasites as main contaminants in water environments of peninsular Malaysia (October 2011-December 2011) and the southeastern coast of Thailand (June 2012). Sixty-four water samples, 33 from Malaysia and 31 from Thailand, of various water types were examined according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Drinking or household water types from both countries were free from parasitic contamination. The recreational/environmental (except a swimming pool in Malaysia) and effluent water types from these two countries were contaminated with waterborne parasites: Giardia (0.04-4 cysts/L), Cryptosporidium (0.06-2.33 oocysts/L), hookworm (6.67-350 ova/L), Ascaris (0.33-33.33 ova/L), and Schistosoma (9.25-13.33 ova/L). The most contaminated sites were recreational lake garden 3 in Malaysia and river 2 in Thailand. Higher concentrations of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and hookworm were found in samples from Malaysia than in samples from Thailand. The presence of Giardia cysts showed a significant association with the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts (P < 0.005).

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Part of this work have been presented in 5th ASEAN Congress of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology (ACTMP), Manila, The Philippines, 15–17 May, 2012.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study sites in Malaysia and Thailand. IMS = immunomagnetic separation.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Photomicrograph of parasites detected in water samples from Malaysia and Thailand, 400 × magnification: Giardia (A), Cryptosporidium (B), Blastocystis (C), Toxoplasma (D), Entamoeba (E), Hookworm (F), Schistosoma (G), and Ascaris (H).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Positive correlation (r = 0.583) between presence of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in recreational or environmental water type, Malaysia and Thailand.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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