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Cryptosporidium parvum has emerged as one of the most important new contaminants found in drinking water. An ultra- sensitive and rapid molecular assay was developed to determine the presence/absence of C. parvum oocysts in drinking water. This molecular test combined an ImmunoMagnetic Separation (IMS) step to capture oocysts directly from concentates of 5 to 100 liters of dunking water with a specific amplification step by PCR. The IMO S-PCR product was identified by non-radioactive hybridization using an internal oLgonucleotide probe. This IMS-PCR assay was able to detect the presence of a single oocyst in 5 to100 liter samples of drinking water, thereby guaranteeing the absence of C parvum contamination in the sample under analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]