Question

Contamination of water with sewage is indicated by cysts of

• A. Escherichia
• B. Entamoeba
• C. Pseudomonas
• D. Leishmania

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Entamoeba

Several outbreaks worldwide caused by the presence of E. histolytica have been reported associated with sewage contamination.

Entamoeba histolytica is an invasive, pathogenic protozoan, causing amoebiasis, and an important cause of diarrhoea in developing countries. The life cycle of the parasite is represented by two forms: the cyst and the trophozoite. The cyst is the infective and non-motile form of the parasite. It is excreted in the faeces and can survive for weeks in the environment.

The organism can be prevalent in cold regions as well as tropical and subtropical regions that have contaminated water. In fact, E. histolytica is an important cause of morbidity and/or mortality wherever sewage facilities are inadequate. As is the case for other intestinal protozoan pathogens, wastewater treatment techniques are reported not to be very efficient for E. histolytica elimination possibly because of their resistance to disinfectants and the small size of the cysts.

So the answer is 'Entamoeba'.