Detection and molecular characterization of Giardia isolated from recreational lake water in Malaysia

• Main Authors: Lim, Y.A.L., Ramasame, S.D., Mahdy, M.A.K., Sulaiman, W.Y.W., Smith, H.V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: R Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/4110/1/Lim-2009-Detection_and_molecu.pdf; http://eprints.um.edu.my/4110/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19705155

Nine 50-l surface water samples from a Malaysian recreational lake were examined microscopically using an immunomagnetisable separation-immunofluorescent method. No Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected, but 77.8 of samples contained low numbers of Giardia cysts (range, 0.17-1.1 cysts/l), which were genetically characterised by SSU rRNA gene sequencing. Genotype analyses indicated the presence of Giardia duodenalis assemblage A suggesting potential risk to public health. The present study represents the first contribution to our knowledge of G. duodenalis assemblages in Malaysian recreational water.