Cryptosporidiosis in Hospital Patients with Gastroenteritis

Abstract

Among 884 hospital patients with gastroenteritis, 36 (4.1%) were excreting Cryptosporidium oocysts in their stools; only 5 of the 36 patients were also excreting other enteropathogens, while none of 320 hospital patients without gastroenteritis were excreting Cryptosporidium oocysts. Children were more commonly infected with Cryptosporidium (4.8%) than were adults (1.6%). The prevalence of infection was higher (7%) during the summer period of February-May 1981 than in the remainder of the observation period to the beginning of June 1982 (1.9%). The most common clinical manifestation of gastroenteritis in Cryptosporidium-infected patients was diarrhea, lasting from 3 to over 14 days, accompanied by vomiting, anorexia, and abdominal pain. The results show that a small proportion of patients with gastroenteritis are infected with Cryptosporidium, and the importance of the infection needs to be examined.

Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium Isolates Obtained from Humans in France

“…Early reports often described the detection of human cryptosporidiosis in adults, reflecting a high proportion of immunocompromised subjects. However, sporadic infections at the community level were also noted in the early 1980s, particularly in otherwise healthy immunocompetent children (8,9,15,45). Subsequent studies have confirmed a peak incidence in children aged 1 to 5 years in most areas, but the ages are generally at the lower end of that range in developing countries.…”

The incidence of cryptosporidiosis: a two-year prospective survey in a children's hospital

“…This occurred in both years, and appears to be extending again into the third year. A survey in Costa Rica detected peaks in two summers (Mata et al 1984) and a 16-month survey in Australia detected a summer peak which did not occur the following year (Tzipori et al 1983); a 12-month survey in the USA noted a late summer, early autumn peak (Wolfson et al 1985). In livestock farming areas the incidence of human infection may be affected by that in newly born animal hosts, and more information is needed to establish other reasons for seasonal variations.…”

Cryptosporidiuminfections in humans with gastroenteritis in Zaria, Nigeria

“…(Robinson et al 1986), 6-1 % in Bangladesh (Shahid et al 1985), 7-9 % reported from Liberia (Hojlyng et al 1984) and 3-0 % and 10X4 % among children and adults respectively in Rwanda (Bogaerts et al 1984). In Liverpool, UK, Canada and Australia, detection rates of 1-4 %, 1-2 % and 4-1 % respectively have been reported Ratnam et al 1985;Tzipori et al 1983). …”