Public health risk of Giardia and Cryptosporidium posed by drinking water, Saudi Arabia

Wafaa Mohamed Hikal 1, 2, *, Maryam Al humaidi Al-anzi 1, Rawabi Homoud Albalawi 1,  Lama Rasheed Al-balawi 1, Ebtihal Ahmad Al-harthi 1, Nada Abdulrahman Al-fredi 1, Raneem Ahmed Al-faqeeh 1,  Jihan Ali Al-atwi1

1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, P.O. Box 741, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia.
2 Water Pollution Research Department, Environmental Research Division, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., Dokki, Giza, Egypt, 12622.
 
Review Article
GSC Advanced Research and Reviews, 2020, 04(03), 012-022.
Article DOI: 10.30574/gscarr.2020.4.3.0067
Publication history: 
Received on 15 August 2020; revised on 19 September 2020; accepted on 21 September 2020
 
Abstract: 
Our review gives information on the health effects and treatment technology that would be useful in dealing with the contamination of drinking water and the health advisory about Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp., that cause human and animal disease worldwide, and to attract the attention of officials responsible for protecting public health when contamination situations occur, and as guidance to assist people to maintain personal hygiene as well as awareness of contamination with parasites, especially drinking water to protect themselves from parasitic diseases. Cryptosporidium is the first parasite to cause concern to health officials in the world and Giardia which has heightened world concerns because of its severity. Thus, our study focused on the protozoan Giardia and Cryptosporidium are responsible for most water-borne diseases all over the world, as a result of the extent and number of outbreaks of waterborne diseases suggests a significant risk of their potential transmission via drinking water. Therefore, the light was shed on the importance of drinking water quality and its free of pathogenic parasites were preserved to preserve public health, especially, Cryptosporidium spp., and Giardia spp., are important intestinal protozoa of humans, livestock, and wild animals worldwide, resulting in diarrhea which can be fatal and threatening human health worldwide. Many outbreaks among humans have been caused by both the massive Giardia and Cryptosporidium-associated waterborne outbreak. Such outbreaks pose significant challenges to public health. In the United States, it is estimated that 748,000 cryptosporidiosis cases occur every year. According to the World Health Organization, annually, there are 500,000 emerging giardiasis cases globally. 
 
Keywords: 
Drinking water; Water-borne parasites; Public health; Cryptosporidium; Giardia
 
Full text article in PDF: 
Share this