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An evaluation of a laser scanning device for the detection of Cryptosporidium parvum in treated water samples

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Nigel Lightfoot

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Abstract

A laser scanning device, the ChemScan RDI (Chemunex, Paris, France), was compared with manual fluorescence microscopy for the detection of oocysts of Cryptosporidium. Pairs of filters were spiked with approximately 100 oocysts. Over 24 h at least 1000 l of treated water was passed through the filters, then concentrated deposits were subjected to an immunomagnetic separation (IMS) protocol described by the manufacturer (Dynal, Oslo, Norway) and examination by fluorescence microscopy, or an IMS protocol (Chemunex) and detection by ChemScan laser scanning. Subsequently a set of five 1-ml samples containing oocysts over a range of concentrations, including a negative control, were examined blind by the two methods (stage two). In stage 1 the average recovery rates were estimated to be 49% (manual fluorescence microscopy) and 73% (ChemScan). The average ratio of ChemScan to manual fluorescence microscopy counts was 1.54 (range 1.08-2.36). In stage 2, statistical comparison of all but one set of results showed there was no significant difference between methods. Differences for the high count sample may possibly have been caused by duplicate counting of oocysts by manual fluorescence microscopy.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Rushton P, Place BM, Lightfoot NF

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Letters in Applied Microbiology

Year: 2000

Volume: 30

Issue: 4

Pages: 303-307

ISSN (print): 0266-8254

ISSN (electronic): 1472-765X

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1472-765x.2000.00713.x

DOI: 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2000.00713.x

PubMed id: 10792651

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