Contamination of wastewater with Echinococcus multilocularis – possible implications for drinking water resources in the QTP China

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 170; p. 115334
• Main Authors: Lass, Anna, Ma, Liqing, Kontogeorgos, Ioannis, Xueyong, Zhang, Li, Xiuping, Karanis, Panagiotis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2020
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; China; Drinking Water; Echinococcus multilocularis; Environment; Feces; Tibet; Waste Water; Wastewater; Water; Tibet; China; Water; Echinococcus multilocularis; Environment; Wastewater; China
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115334

Echinococcus multilocularis is a parasite that causes a dangerous zoonosis, alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Its presence in water sources, however, has scarcely been studied heretofore. Accordingly, 222 samples of different origin including wastewater from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (n = 137), slaughterhouse (n = 49) as well as water from rivers (n = 26) and a cattle farm (n = 10) were collected from Xining City and a rural area in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), an endemic area. Material obtained after processing of 10 L volume samples was subsequently analysed using three molecular detection methods: nested PCR, real-time PCR and LAMP. E. multilocularis DNA was found in 13 (5.85%) water samples; including 8 (5.8%), 3 (6%), 2 (20%) and 0 positive samples found in WWTPs, a slaughterhouse, a cattle farm and rivers, respectively. All three (LAMP, PCR, RT-PCR) molecular tools displayed high agreement and effectiveness in their ability of detecting the parasite’s DNA in environmental material. This is the first investigation describing E. multilocularis detection in wastewater samples, using three sensitive molecular diagnostic tools. Results indicate the role of wastewater in dissemination of E. multilocularis and the risk of contamination of water sources.
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•Echinococcus multilocularis DNA has been detected in wastewaters in endemic areas of Tibetan Plateau in China.•Tapeworm DNA was present in WWTPs, slaughterhouse and cattle farm in Qinghai Tibetan Plateau area.•Wastewater may play a role in dissemination of tapeworm and contamination of water sources.•Real-time PCR, nested PCR and LAMP are efficient tools in screening water sources for E. multilocularis.