PREDATION OF "CRYPTOSPORIDIUM" OOCYSTS BY PROTOZOA AND ROTIFERS : IMPLICATIONS FOR WATER QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Free-living ciliated protozoa, an amoeba and rotifers, all commonly found in aquatic ecosystems, were exposed to varying doses of c-parvum oocysts. All organisms investi-gated ingested oocysts. Predation activity and rates of ingestion varied with predator species and prey density. An analysis is made. Ingeneral numbers of internalised oocysts increased with incubation time up to 20-30 min althouth the rate of accumulation was slower at lower dose levels.The significance of predation on the fate of cryptospori-dium oocysts in the environment is discussed.