Viability determination of Ascaris ova in raw wastewater: A comparative evaluation of culture-based, BacLight Live/ Dead staining and PMA-qPCR methods

Abstract

Accurate evaluation of viable Ascaris ova in wastewater is the key to mitigating Ascaris reinfections in endemic regions. In this study, the viability of Ascaris ova in raw wastewater was determined using three different detection methods: culture-based, BacLight Live/Dead staining and propidium monoazide-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PMA-qPCR). Furthermore, comparative assessment of viability utilising the aforementioned detection methods was performed using seeded experiments in wastewater. The percentage of viability was: culture-based (82%), BacLight Live/Dead staining (87%) and PMA-qPCR (85%) respectively. Despite the fact that no statistical difference was shown in the viability determination among the three methods, PMA-qPCR-based viability determination would be preferable over the other two methods for evaluating potential public health risks with A. suum ova due to its accuracy, being least subjective and its rapid reaction time.