This website is currently undergoing final updates. Some information may change as updates are completed.
This website is currently undergoing final updates. Some information may change as updates are completed.
Danica Naidoo obtained her Master of Science in Biological Sciences degree in June 2017, specializing in parasitology. She has been learning and training under Dr Colleen Archer, on the biological side, specifically parasitology, of the water and sanitation field, and has gained much experience therein.
She spent the second half of 2017 working for Dr Santiago Septien on heat treatment of Ascaris eggs. Miss Naidoo became affiliated with the WASH R&D Centre in 2014, whilst completing her Honours in Ascaris egg inactivation by household disinfectants. She then attempted Ascaris inactivation work on the viscous heater for her MSc, but upon operational setbacks, scaled her project down to bench-scale testing of heat treatment of helminth eggs in water.
She is now based fulltime at the Centre and is currently completing her PhD at UKZN, with 2019 being her second year of study. Miss Naidoo’s focuses include helminth treatment and inactivation, processing and microscopic identification, as well as human health-related work in the sanitation sector.
Project title: Understanding the development, quantification and inactivation of Ascaris sp. eggs for application to sanitation technology.
Project description: The first part of the project focused on expanding on the time vs. temperature relationship relative to the inactivation of Ascaris eggs, both in water and sludge (as an extension of MSc work conducted on heat inactivation of helminth eggs in water). The effects of dryness and moisture content was also tested against Ascaris survivability in sludge. The second part of the project will focus making recommendations towards standardizing the PRG Helminth Method (which can be found on the PRG website). Each step that exists in the current method, along with other methods currently in use in the sanitation sector, will be rigorously tested for helminth eggs recovery and viability. The optimum option from each step will then be included in a final method that will be recommended for standardization.
Starting date: February 2018
Supervisor: Prof Chris Buckley
Co-Supervisor: Dr Colleen Archer
Naidoo, D., Appleton, C. C., Archer, C. E., & Foutch, G. L. (2018). The inactivation of Ascaris suum eggs by short exposure to high temperatures. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development.
Naidoo, D., & Foutch, G. L. (2018). The time–temperature relationship for the inactivation of Ascaris eggs. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 8(1), 123-126.
Naidoo, D., Archer, C., Louton, B., & Rodda, N. (2016). Testing household disinfectants for the inactivation of helminth eggs on surfaces and in spills during pit latrine emptying. Water SA, 42(4), 560-570.
