Background: Waterborne protozoal infections are common health problems in many parts of the world especially in developing countries. Water is a major vehicle for transmission of protozoa such as G. lamblia, Cryptosporidium spp. as well as pathogenic and opportunistic free living amoeba (FLA).
Objective: This study aims to detect the presence of protozoal agents in tap water and storage water tanks at Fayoum Governorate, Egypt.
Material and Methods: A total of ninety five water samples were collected from different water sources, taps (65) and tanks (30), from 6 Fayoum districts. The samples were processed to detect the presence of G. lamblia cysts by Lugol's iodine stain, Cryptosporidium oocysts by modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain and FLA by cultivation. After cultivation, Acanthamoeba spp. were identified according to their morphological features and flagellation test was performed to detect amoeboflagellates.
Results: All water samples collected from tanks (100%) were contaminated by protozoa of medical importance, while only 6 (9.2%) of the tap water samples were pathogen free. The majority of water samples were contaminated with mixed protozoal infections. The overall detection rates of contaminants in water sources were 86.3%, 52.6%, 13.7% by FLA, Cryptosporidium spp. and G. lamblia, respectively.
Conclusions: The recorded detection rates of waterborne protozoa present a hazard to the community resulting in silent morbidities and mortalities. It is strongly recommended to adopt proper water safety measures.