Chlorine inactivation of coxsackievirus B5 in recycled water destined for non-potable reuse.

Currently guidelines for disinfection of water with free chlorine, while primarily developed for potable water, are often used for virus disinfection of nitrified recycled water of >1 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit). More information is needed on the disinfection efficacy of free chlorine for viruses in waters of varying turbidity and pH due to significant reuse of treated wastewater of varying quality. In this study, disinfection efficacy in nitrified/denitrified activated sludge treated wastewater was investigated for coxsackievirus B5 (CB5), an enterovirus known to be highly resistant to free chlorine.

Two new Tetramitus species (Heterolobosea, Vahlkampfiidae) from cold aquatic environments.

Characterisation of the protists of cold environments provides important background for assessing the effects of climate change on microbial communities. Tetramitus angularis n. sp.

Rapid, sensitive, and discriminating identification of Naegleria spp. by real-time PCR and melting-curve analysis.

The free-living amoeboflagellate genus Naegleria includes one pathogenic and two potentially pathogenic species (Naegleria fowleri, Naegleria italica, and Naegleria australiensis) plus numerous benign organisms. Monitoring of bathing water, water supplies, and cooling systems for these pathogens requires a timely and reliable method for identification, but current DNA sequence-based methods identify only N. fowleri or require full sequencing to identify other species in the genus.

Detection and significance of the potentially pathogenic amoeboflagellate Naegleria italica in Australia.

Thermophilic amoeboflagellates in the genus Naegleria include both virulent and benign species. One of the less studied species, N. italica, has not been detected in the environment since the first reports from Italy in the 1980s; its virulence is known only from infection of laboratory mice.

Density and diversity of protozoa in some arid Australian soils.

This is the first extensive study of soil protozoa of arid lands. Twenty-six samples from litters, soils, termitaria, and a cyanobacterial crust, collected from central and south Australian arid lands, were analyzed for numbers and species of gymnamoebae, ciliates, and testacea. Amoebae ranged from 1,000-5,000/g of material, and were two orders of magnitude more abundant than ciliates.