ROUTINE MONITORING OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM OOCYSTS IN WATER USING FLOW-CYTOMETRY

A flow cytometric method for the routine analysis of environmental wat er samples for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts has been develo ped. It uses a Coulter Epics Elite flow cytometer to examine water sam ples and to separate oocysts from contaminating debris by cell sorting . The sorted particles are then rapidly screened by microscopy. The me thod has been evaluated and compared with direct epifluorescence micro scopy on 325 river, reservoir and drinking water samples. The techniqu e was found to be more sensitive, faster and easier to perform than co nventional epifluorescent microscopy for the routine examination of wa ter samples for Cryptosporidium.