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Review
. 2018 Mar 12;15(3):495.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030495.

Protozoan Parasites in Drinking Water: A System Approach for Improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Developing Countries

Alua Omarova  1 , Kamshat Tussupova  2   3 , Ronny Berndtsson  4 , Marat Kalishev  5 , Kulyash Sharapatova  6
Affiliations
Review

Protozoan Parasites in Drinking Water: A System Approach for Improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Developing Countries

Alua Omarova et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are significant in preventing diarrhea morbidity and mortality caused by protozoa in low- and middle-income countries. Due to the intimate and complex relationships between the different WASH components, it is often necessary to improve not just one but all of these components to have sustainable results. The objective of this paper was to review the current state of WASH-related health problems caused by parasitic protozoa by: giving an overview and classification of protozoa and their effect on people's health, discussing different ways to improve accessibility to safe drinking water, sanitation services and personal hygiene behavior; and suggesting an institutional approach to ensure improved WASH. The findings indicate that Giardia and Cryptosporidium are more often identified during waterborne or water-washed outbreaks and they are less sensitive than most of the bacteria and viruses to conventional drinking water and wastewater treatment methods. There are various institutions of control and prevention of water-related diseases caused by protozoa in developed countries. Unfortunately, the developing regions do not have comparable systems. Consequently, the institutional and systems approach to WASH is necessary in these countries.

Keywords: Cryptosporidium; Giardia; WASH; developing countries; drinking water; protozoan parasites.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Classification of parasitic protozoa.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Life cycle of Giardia [24].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic of systems approach to ensure improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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