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National surveillance for infection with Cryptosporidium parvum, 1995-1998: what have we learned?
1Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. jmrl@cdc.gov
Objective:
Infection with Cryptosporidium parvum generally causes a self-limiting diarrheal illness. Symptoms can, however, last for weeks and can be severe, especially in immunocompromised individuals. In 1994, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) recommended that cryptosporidiosis be a nationally notifiable disease. Forty-seven states have made infection with C. parvum notifiable to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and laboratories in the three remaining states report cases to state health departments, which may report them to the CDC. To see what the data show about patterns of infection, the authors reviewed the first four years of reports to the CDC.
Methods:
The authors analyzed reports of laboratory-confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis for 1995-1998.
Results:
During 1995-1998, 11,612 laboratory-confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis were reported to the CDC. All ages and both sexes were affected. An increase in case reporting was observed in late summer during each year of surveillance for people <20 years of age.
Conclusion:
The first national data on laboratory-confirmed cryptosporidiosis cases, although incomplete, provide useful information on the burden of disease in the nation as well as provide baseline data for monitoring of future trends.
Insights
Cryptosporidiosis, a diarrheal illness, affects all ages. National data from 1995-1998 revealed over 11,000 cases, with a summer increase in those under 20.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health Surveillance
Background:
- Cryptosporidium parvum infection typically causes self-limiting diarrhea but can be severe and prolonged, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
- Cryptosporidiosis was recommended as a nationally notifiable disease in 1994 by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).
- Most U.S. states report cryptosporidiosis cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), enabling national surveillance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the initial four years of national cryptosporidiosis surveillance data reported to the CDC.
- To identify patterns and trends in laboratory-confirmed Cryptosporidium parvum infections across the United States.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of laboratory-confirmed cryptosporidiosis case reports submitted to the CDC.
- Data reviewed covered the period from 1995 to 1998.
Main Results:
- A total of 11,612 laboratory-confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis were reported to the CDC between 1995 and 1998.
- Cases were reported across all age groups and both sexes.
- A notable increase in case reporting occurred during late summer months for individuals under 20 years of age each year.
Conclusions:
- The first national dataset on cryptosporidiosis, though incomplete, offers valuable insights into the disease burden.
- These findings establish crucial baseline data for future monitoring of cryptosporidiosis trends in the U.S.
- National surveillance data can inform public health strategies for managing Cryptosporidium infections.
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