Cryptosporidium and Giardia in recreational water in Belgium

The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in different recreational water bodies in Belgium and to estimate the infection risk associated with swimming and other recreational activities. Cryptosporidium oocysts and/or Giardia cysts were detected in three out of 37 swimming pools, seven out of 10 recreational lakes, two out of seven splash parks and four out of 16 water fountains. In the swimming pools no infection risk for Cryptosporidium could be calculated, since oocysts were only detected in filter backwash water. The risk of Giardia infection in the swimming pools varied from 1.13 x 10(-6) to 2.49 x 10(-6) per swim per person. In recreational lakes, the infection risk varied from 2.79 x 10(-5) to 5.74 x 10(-5) per swim per person for Cryptosporidium and from 7.04 x 10(-5) to 1.46 x 10(-4) for Giardia. For other outdoor water recreation activities the estimated infection risk was 5.71 x 10(-6) for Cryptosporidium and 1.47 x 10(-5) for Giardia. However, most positive samples in the recreational lakes belonged to species/genotypes that are either animal-specific or predominantly found in animals. No Cryptosporidium was found in splash parks and water fountains, but the presence of Giardia cysts suggests a risk for human infection. The infection risk of Giardia infection during a 3.5-minute visit to a splash park for children equalled 1.68 x 10(-4).