Cryptosporidium Contamination of Surface and Water Supplies in Haiti

ABSTRACT

Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most frequent causes of diarrhea in Haiti. Transmission in children less than five years-old, HIV-infected individuals, and people living in low socio-economic conditions is frequently due to consumption of water or food contaminated by Cryptosporidium oocysts. This study examined the circulation of Cryptosporidium oocysts in surface waters and in public water supplies in the district of Port-au-Prince. Data were gathered from December 2000 to June 2002 in 37 sites. In the district of Port-au-Prince, 24/37 samples of water collected (65%) were contaminated by Cryptosporidium oocysts and 10/11 (91%) of those collected in reservoirs used by people living in peripheral areas. The rate of contamination was 7/13 (54%) in water from public standpipes provided by the public company of water distribution. All surface water (4/4) collected was highly contaminated.

KEYWORDS:

• Cryptosporidium oocysts
• environment
• Port-au-Prince
• Haiti
• surface waters
• water supplies

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by French Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA (ANRS n° 2000/157). The authors are very grateful to Centres GHESKIO of Port-au-Prince for their assistance and their help to collect the samples; to Lilite Obiscon, Centre d’applications en télédétection et en systèmes d’information of the University Quisqueya, Port-au-Prince, for constructing the map of the 37 sites studied; and to Christian Roussilhon, Institut Pasteur, Paris, for advices.

Notes

^aSite number on the map, Figure 1.

*Mean number calculated excluding the heavily contaminated water tank of Delmas 6.