Isolation and Identification of Parasitic Protozoa in Sampled Water From the Southwest of Iran

Background: In spite of promotion of people’s hygiene in the recent years, parasitic infection problems are present in many parts of the world especially in tropical and subtropical areas. Water is one of the major sources for acquiring parasitic infections, especially protozoan parasites. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the present parasitic agents in river, tap water and filtrated water in the western part of Ahvaz city. Materials and Methods: Forty-four water samples were collected from different sources of the studied area. The samples were examined by routine parasitology methods using light microscopy. Results: Twenty-eight out of 44 water samples were positive for parasitic contamination with cysts and oocysts of four parasitic protozoa including: 50% Entamoeba spp (22 out of 44 samples), 27.27% Cryptosporidium spp (12 out of 44 samples), 13.63% Blastocystis spp (6 out of 44 samples) and 9.09% Giardia spp (4 out of 44 samples). Conclusions: The parasite infection rate in water is high and deficits of water quality should be solved by water organization responders. It is strongly recommended to use home filtration systems for consumption of safe water.