Molecular Identification of Cryptosporidium spp. in Patients Living with HIV / AIDS in Honduras

Abstract

Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most important causes of gastroenteritis in the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It is caused by the Apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium spp., and mainly affects children and immunosuppressed people, in whom it can pose a serious risk to their health, or even be life-threatening. In Honduras there are no data on parasite species or on molecular diversity or Cryptosporidium subtypes. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2019 and March 2020 for the molecular identification of Cryptosporidium spp. in 102 patients living with HIV who attended a national hospital in Tegucigalpa. Stool samples were analysed by direct microscopy, acid-fast stained smears, and a rapid lateral flow immunochromatographic test. All samples that tested positive were molecularly analyzed to identify the species and subtype of the parasite using three different markers: gp60, cowp, and 18Sr. PCR products were also sequenced. Four out of 102 samples (3.92%) were positive for Cryptosporidium parvum, and all were assigned to subtype IIa. These findings suggest a possible zoonotic transmission in this population.

Cryptosporidiosis

“…Cryptosporidium is a protozoan pathogen genus, sometimes informally referred to as Crypto, belonging to the Apicomplexa phylum that is responsible for causing gastrointestinal diseases in both animals and humans (Betancourth et al 2021). Two types of diseases, intestinal Cryptosporidiosis and respiratory Cryptosporidiosis, have been reported in both the immune-deficient and immunocompromised individuals (Madbouly et al 2021).…”