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DISCUSSION OF "DETECTION OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM IN SECONDARY EFFLUENTS USING A MOST PROBABLE NUMBER-POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION ASSAY"
Citation:
O'Connor*, T P. DISCUSSION OF "DETECTION OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM IN SECONDARY EFFLUENTS USING A MOST PROBABLE NUMBER-POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION ASSAY". WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH 75(4):292-299.
Description:
The emphasis of this paper is to show that most probable number-polymerase chain reaction (MPNPCR) assay can be used to detect Cryptosporidium parvum in WWTP effluents as an alternative to immunfluorescent assay (IFA). I am concerned, however, that the paper suggests that all WWTP effluent contains Cryptosporidium. The detection frequencey and varying concentration of Cryptosporidium parvum detected in this study (only 2 of the 7 samples tested positive for C. parvum) and the others studies cited, suggest that this presumption is unfounded.
Since only five sites were monitored and only two of seven samples were identified to contain Cryptosporidium parvum, it shoud be made clear how many samples were taken from two locations or only one located. This would also help identify whether there was a transitory phenomenon observed in the samples.