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Appl Environ Microbiol, February 1998, p. 784-788, Vol. 64, No. 2
0099-2240/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts by Ammonia

Michael B. Jenkins,1,* Dwight D. Bowman,2 and William C. Ghiorse1

Section of Microbiology, Division of Biological Sciences,1 and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine,2 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

Received 22 September 1997/Accepted 3 December 1997

The survival of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in soil and water microhabitats may be affected by the environmental production and release of free ammonia. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of increasing free ammonia concentrations and times of exposure on oocyst viability. Wild-type oocysts were obtained from naturally infected calf feces by chemical (continuous-flow) centrifugation and sucrose gradients. Ammonia (NH3) from a commercial solution was applied in concentrations ranging from 0.007 to 0.148 M. Exposure times ranged from 10 min to 24 h at a constant temperature of 24 ± 1°C. Viability of oocysts was determined with a dye permeability assay and an in vitro excystation assay (M. B. Jenkins, L. J. Anguish, D. D. Bowman, M. J. Walker, and W. C. Ghiorse, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63:3844-3850, 1997). Even the lowest concentration of ammonia decreased significantly the viability of oocysts after 24 h of exposure. Increasing concentrations of ammonia increased inactivation rates, which ranged from 0.014 to 0.066 h-1. At the highest concentration of ammonia, a small fraction of viable oocysts still remained. Exposure to pH levels corresponding to those associated with the ammonia concentrations showed minimal effects of alkaline pH alone on oocyst viability. This study shows that environmentally relevant concentrations of free ammonia may significantly increase the inactivation of oocysts in ammonia-containing environments.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Section of Microbiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Wing Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Phone: (607) 254-5117. Fax: (607) 255-3904. E-mail: mbj1{at}cornell.edu.




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Copyright © 1998 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.