The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Profile photo of Ronny Berndtsson

Ronny Berndtsson

Professor, Dep Director, MECW Dep Scientific Coordinator

Profile photo of Ronny Berndtsson

Protozoan parasites in drinking water : A system approach for improved water, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries

Author

  • Alua Omarova
  • Kamshat Tussupova
  • Ronny Berndtsson
  • Marat Kalishev
  • Kulyash Sharapatova

Summary, in English

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.

Department/s

  • Division of Water Resources Engineering
  • Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)
  • MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World

Publishing year

2018-03-12

Language

English

Publication/Series

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Volume

15

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article review

Publisher

MDPI AG

Topic

  • Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
  • Microbiology in the medical area

Keywords

  • Cryptosporidium
  • Developing countries
  • Drinking water
  • Giardia
  • Protozoan parasites
  • WASH

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1661-7827