Ubiquity of the water-borne pathogens, Cryptosporidium and Giardia, in KwaZulu-Natal populations

The prevalence of the diarrhoea disease caused by the water-borne pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia in KwaZulu-Natal, was determined from pathology laboratory data. Cryptosporidium and Giardia were found to be endemic in KwaZulu-Natal with laboratory-confirmed incidences ranging from 2.9 to 3.7% and 2.9 to 3.0% respectively of diarrhoea samples submitted for protozoan parasite analysis. Increases in the number of samples submitted for Cryptosporidium or Giardia analysis were independent of the actual incidence of either protozoan pathogen. Female and male patients tested for cryptosporidiosis had similar positive percentages while giardiasis was more prevalent in female patients. Cryptosporidium and Giardia prevalence in children under 5 years indicated that Cryptosporidium was most prevalent (39.3%) in the Giardia was most prevalent in the 3 to 4 year age group (38.5%). A low percentage of Cryptosporidium and Giardia positive cases were recorded in symptomatic (4.5% and 5.3% respectively) and asymptomatic (2.4% and 0.8% respectively) HIV patients. The incidence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia did not appear to correlate (Pearson's correlation test) with climatic factors such as rainfall, season or year, possibly indicating that water-borne transmission is not the predominant route and other factors such as personal hygiene, potable water supply, sanitation and education probably have a more significant impact. WaterSA Vol.27(1) 2001: 57-64