Waterborne Parasitosis
The Waterborne Parasitosis Unit is composed by professors and researchers belonging to the PARAQUASIL group in the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology at the USC. This research group has extensive expertise in Cryptosporidium (over 30 years), having investigated this waterborne parasite in different aspects, such as epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and disinfection, and detection in water, environmental and food samples. The group has participated in 10 research projects related to Cryptosporidium and other protozoa parasites, publishing more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and presented around 100 communications at national and international conferences and workshops on Cryptosporidium and other parasites.
Address:
Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Praza do Seminario de Estudos Galegos, s/n, 15705 Santiago de Compostela
Coordinator
Investigation lines
- Epidemiology of zoonotic enteroprotozoan parasites (Cryptosporidium and Giardia) and others with relevance in animal health, both in livestock and wildlife
- Development of novel detection methods for Cryptosporidium and Giardia in water
- Assesment of novel disinfection tecnologies for Cryptosporidium inactivation in drinking and regenerated waters
Relevant projects
- Photo-irradiation and Adsorption based Novel Innovations for Water-treatment (PANIWATER). Horizon2020. https://www.paniwater.eu/
- Water-Sustainable Point-Of-Use Treatment Technologies (WATERSPOUTT). Horizon 2020. http://www.waterspoutt.eu/
- Cryptosporidium as a model of emerging waterborne enteropathogen in the evaluation of photocatalytic processes for water regeneration (CRYPTOREGWATER). Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad.
Relevant publications
- Reboredo-Fernández, Aurora, et al. «Addition of hydrogen peroxide to natural ferruginous water improves the efficacy of SODIS method against the waterborne pathogen Cryptosporidium». Journal of Water Process Engineering, vol. 69, 2025, 106559
- López-Novo, Cynthia, et al. «Prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia duodenalis and Eimeria spp. in diarrhoeic suckling calves from north-western Spain and analysis of their interactions». International Journal of Veterinary Science and Medicine, vol. 13, n.º 1, 2025, pp. 1-14
- Couso-Pérez, Seila, et al. «Echinogammarus lusitanicus (Amphipoda), a New Intermediate Host of Echinorhynchus truttae (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae)». Acta Parasitologica, vol. 69, n.º 4, 2024, pp. 2043-45
- Couso-Pérez, Seila, et al. «Removal of the waterborne parasite Cryptosporidium parvum from drinking water using granular activated carbon». Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, vol. 11, 2023, 111185.
- Couso-Pérez, Seila, et al. «Gastrointestinal helminths in brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) captured in Galician rivers (NW Spain)». Parasitology International, vol. 92, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PARINT.2022.102676.
