Abstract:
Dornelor Basin is
characterised by numerous high quality
water sources, which is proven by the fact
that the main mineral waters on the
Romanian market come from this area. The
study aimed to provide data on the
occurrence and human infective potential of
Giardia and Cryptosporidium, as the most
important water-borne parasites, from
Bistrița river tributaries of Dornelor basin,
North-Eastern Romania. Water samples were
collected from 10 tributaries of the Bistrita
river, from the level of sampling stations set
upstream and downstream from the
anthropic communities. The harvested water
samples were further processed using nonmolecular
methods in order to isolate
(oo)cysts. Subsequently, the isolated
Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)ccyst were
molecularly characterized through PCR and
genomic sequencing, which led to the
identification of Giardia in order to identify
them at species level. The outcomes revealed
the fact that the waters of the emissaries
under study have a low parasite load and
that, upstream from the human settlements,
the water is highly pure when related to the
protozoa under study. The increased load of
Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp.
corresponded to important animal husbandry
activity. The obtained results underline a
potential public health risk.
