Water-Borne Parasitic

zoonoses
Overview

 Zoonotic Diseases
 Types
 Transmission
 Waterborne Parasitic Zoonosis
 Important Parasites to Discuss
 Factors Affecting Transmission
 Identification
 Control
What are Zoonotic diseases
 The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
Zoonoses (Zoonosis, sing.) as “Those diseases and
infections which are naturally transmitted between
vertebrate animals and man” (Anonymous, 2006).

CDC: U.S. Communicable Disease Center

Types of Zoonotic Disease

Bacterial

Fungal

Viral

Parasitic
Broad Categories of Transmission

 Vectorborne (insects)
 Feaco-oral Transmission
 Waterborne
 Contaminated Food
 Contact
Parasitic Zoonosis
 Transmission of parasitic diseases between animals and
humans.(WHO,2006)
Water-Borne Parasitic Zoonosis
 Zoonotic diseases caused by parasites and spread by
swallowing or having contact with contaminated water
during recreational or occupational activities.
Waterborne Parasitic Zoonosis
 Contaminated water acts as a source of infection in a
number of ways.
Routes of transmission (Direct & In-direct)
 Water acts as a carrier e.g. cholera.
 Vectors that live in or close to water e.g. malaria.
 Infectious agents have an essential part of their lifecycle in
water e.g. schistosomiasis.

 Feces, urine, saliva, blood or secretions from skin are source of water
contamination
Waterborne Zoonotic Parasites
Microspora
 Microsporidia are obligate, intracellular spore forming
parasites, having water Borne Zoonotic potential (Didier et al.,
2004).
 Can also infect protozoa, invertebrates and vertebrates such
as fish.
 Encephalitozoon intestinalis are the most common causes of
human infections.
 They are particularly associated with diarrhea and systemic
disease although relatively few episodes of waterborne human
illness have been reported worldwide (Ghosh et al., 2006).
Microspora
 Identified in water sources as well as in wild, domestic,
and food-producing farm animals.
 lack host specificity (allowing cross-species-infectivity),
have spores that are environmentally hardy (Didier et
al., 2004).
Protozoa
Spread of protozoal zoonotic parasites are primarily
associated with cattle farming, but are also associated with
run-off from contaminated farm land into waterways and
drains which is ultimately consumed by human and cause the
spread of disease.
Important Waterborne Protozoal Parasites are :
 Cryptosporidium
 Giardia
 G. Duodenalis
Cryptosporidium
 Cryptosporidium is an intestinal protozoan parasite that induces
gastrointestinal symptoms when ingested by humans.
 Obligate parasite, and transmitted via ingestion of oocyst, 4 – 6 µm in
diameter and shed in the feces of infected hosts.
 C. hominis and C. parvum
 In immunocompetent individuals the disease is self-limiting
 Immunocompromised individuals can be prolonged and life threatening
(Duffy and Moriarty, 2003). Causing diarrhea accompanied with
dehydration, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever.
 Treated by Nitazoxanide , Azithromycin.
Life Cycle of Cryptosporidium
Giardia
 G. lamblia continues to be the most frequently identified
etiologic agent in water borne disease outbreak.
 The incubation period is usually one to two weeks.
Symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal distinction,
and gastric cramps
 Treated by metronidazole, tinidazole or nitazoxznide.
Life Cycle of Giardia Lambia
Toxoplasma
 T. gondii
 Can cause disease both in adults and children.
Children can suffer retardation and blindness.
 Water has been the suspected vehicle of T. gondii
dissemination in toxoplasmosis outbreaks in Brazil,
Canada and Panama (Slifko et al., 2000; Dubey, 2004;
de Moura et al., 2006).
Lifecycle of Toxoplasma
Naegleria
 Amphizoic ameba
 Most commonly, the ameba is found in warm bodies of
fresh water, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs, warm
water discharge from industrial plants, under-chlorinated
swimming pools and Soil.
 Only N. fowleri infect humans in the summer.
 Mainly effects nervous system (Amoebic Meningoencephalitis)
 Signs may be fever, stiff neck and vomiting.
 Treated by amphotricine B, miconazole, fluconazole etc.
Life Cycle of Naegleria
Trematodes
 The trematodes are flatworms belong to the Phylum
Platyhelminthes.
 The trematodes which are of importance in human
pathology belong to the Digenea
 Have at least two suckers,oral and ventral
 Present in the bile ducts, alimentary and respiratory
tracts, and blood vessels.
 Use snail intermediate hosts
 Praziquantal is treatment.
Localization of Digenea group of
Trematodes within the body
Lifecycle of Trematodes
Cestodes
 Generally flat, segmented and ribbon-like have no gut and
absorb nutrients across the body wall
 Diphyllobothrium latum the largest human tapeworm cause
anaemia.
 Taenia solium (the Pork tapeworm),T. saginata (the Beef
tapeworm)
 Cysticercosis is a rare disease that affects the central
nervous system.
 Praziquantal, albendazole are used for treatment
Lifecycle of Cestodes
Nematodes
 Ascariasis is an infection of the small intestine caused
by Ascaris lumbricoides, a large roundworm
 More dangrous where sewage is used as a fertilizer on
crops or humans have been exposed to water
contaminated
 Abdominal pain, vomiting, weight loss, impaired
growth are signs
 Albendazole, mebendazole are used as treatment
Lifecycle of Nematodes
Transmission Through Skin

 Schistosomiasis (S.haematobian,
S,japonicum, S.mansoni)
A flat worm, cattle is reservoir host and larvae develop in
fresh water snails, when larvae develop susceptible to be
acquired by bathing or swimming and able to penetrate
through skin or carried by blood to veins draining bladder
and intestine.
Signs are skin rashes or itchy skin and chill, fever, cough
and muscles aches.Later, blood in urine and stool and
enlarged liver and spleen are complication. Paralysis
may occur if nerves are involved.
Contin…
Swimmer’s Itch(cercarial dermatitis)
Also caused by parasite of the family schistosomatidae
,genra Trichobilharzia.
Contin…
A burning or itchy rash due to allergic reaction to parasite
, burrows into the top layer of skin, soon die and left a
rash that produces tiny bumps or blisters.
Self limiting disease
treated by baking
soda, soothing lotion
or antihistamic drugs.
Factors Affecting Transmission

 Farmed Animals
 Wild Birds
1. Migratory Birds
2. Water Birds

 Wild Animals
 Land Use
Identification

 Morphological identification
 Biochemical techniques
 Immunological techniques
 Molecular techniques
 Radiology techniques
 Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs)
Control
 The principle of managemental control of parasites is to
prevent pasture contamination, thereby preventing the
parasite from completing its life-cycle in the host.
 Control vectors and intermediate host.
 The most effective form of reducing the spread of parasites
is a combination of three factors:
 Use of anthelmintics

 To suppress faecal egg counts

 Good pasture management

 Monitoring of parasite transmission

References

 http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/default.ht
m
 http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/dxendo
par/index.html
 www.nih.gov
 www.nsf.gov
 www.floridahealthfinder.gov