Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

"Eun-Sook Lee"

Original Article

Rapid detection of viable Acanthamoeba spp. trophozoites and cysts in water treatment processes using propidium monoazide coupled with real-time PCR: Eun-Sook Lee, Ji-Yeon Lee, Young-Ae Baek, Seok-Ju Cho; Received April 10, 2026 Accepted June 23, 2026 Published online September 22, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/PHD.26034 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract
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Acanthamoeba spp. are known to cause human diseases such as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and keratitis. These protozoa can persist in aquatic environments for extended periods and exhibit resistance to disinfectants used in water treatment, posing a significant threat to public health. Traditional culture and molecular methods have limitations in the rapid detection of viable Acanthamoeba in water. Therefore, we optimized real-time PCR (qPCR) combined with propidium monoazide (PMA) and evaluated the applicability of PMA-qPCR for the rapid detection of viable Acanthamoeba throughout the tap water production process. Using a PMA concentration of 50 µM, we successfully differentiated viable from non-viable cells and selected a 180-bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene to enhance qPCR efficiency while minimizing amplification from non-viable cells. Application of PMA-qPCR to samples collected from each stage of the water treatment process, from raw water to purified water, enabled the detection of viable Acanthamoeba in samples with turbidity levels between 0.03 and 13.7 nephelometric turbidity units. These results demonstrate that PMA-qPCR is a suitable tool for monitoring pathogenic Acanthamoeba in drinking water supplies and enabling prompt responses to potential waterborne contamination events.

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Case Report

A Waterborne Outbreak and Detection of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Drinking Water of an Older High-Rise Apartment Complex in Seoul: Eun-Joo Cho, Jin-Young Yang, Eun-Sook Lee, Se-Chul Kim, So-Yang Cha, Sung-Tek Kim, Man-Ho Lee, Sun-Hee Han, Young-Sang Park; Korean J Parasitol 2013;51(4):461-466.
Published online August 30, 2013; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2013.51.4.461

Abstract
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From May to June 2012, a waterborne outbreak of 124 cases of cryptosporidiosis occurred in the plumbing systems of an older high-rise apartment complex in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The residents of this apartment complex had symptoms of watery diarrhea and vomiting. Tap water samples in the apartment complex and its adjacent buildings were collected and tested for 57 parameters under the Korean Drinking Water Standards and for additional 11 microbiological parameters. The microbiological parameters included total colony counts, Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus, fecal streptococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia cysts, total culturable viruses, and Norovirus. While the tap water samples of the adjacent buildings complied with the Korean Drinking Water Standards for all parameters, fecal bacteria and Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in the tap water samples of the outbreak apartment complex. It turned out that the agent of the disease was Cryptosporidium parvum. The drinking water was polluted with sewage from a septic tank in the apartment complex. To remove C. parvum oocysts, we conducted physical processes of cleaning the water storage tanks, flushing the indoor pipes, and replacing old pipes with new ones. Finally we restored the clean drinking water to the apartment complex after identification of no oocysts.

Citations

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