Detection of protozoa in the Saddle Lake drainage basin (Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia)

This study involved developing a waterborne protozoa detection procedure while assessing occurrence, potential infectivity and possible sources of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia within the drainage basin of Saddle Lake, located on the Saddle Lake First Nation Reserve in Alberta, Canada.; Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. were present within the Saddle Lake drainage basin, treatment plant intake and treated water. No samples resulted in cryptosporidiosis in mice while two potable water samples produced giardiasis in gerbils. No correlations were found between the presence of (oo)cysts and total and faecal coliform levels, heterotrophic plate counts, turbidity and pH. Survey results from Saddle Lake First Nation Reserve respondents indicated that low numbers of livestock were present on the reserve in contrast to the surrounding counties.; Recovery trials indicated that this study's detection technique should be further optimized as the method gave rise to low percent recoveries with large amounts of variation.