Cryptosporidial diarrhoea in children

Summary By auramine and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining, cryptosporidial oocysts were found in the stools of 31 (1.36%) out of 2,367 patients with diarrhoea. All specimens were also tested for Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, and Rotavirus. Among these patients, 432 were children and 24 (5.5%) of them were positive for cryptosporidia. All children infected with cryptosporidia were immunocompetent. Watery diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain were the most frequent symptoms. The survey showed that in patients with gastroenteritis, cryptosporidial oocysts were found more commonly in the stools of children than in those of adults, and the prevalence of infection was the highest in August and September (16 cases). The epidemiological aspects and clinical significance are discussed.