Cryptosporidiosis in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

Infection caused by Cryptosporidium species has proved to be one of the most taxing and frustrating conditions faced by clinicians caring for patients with AIDS. Unfortunately, this unique organism, which was identified as a human pathogen only shortly before the AIDS epidemic began to manifest itself, has received only minimal attention during the past decade. Dr. Carolyn Petersen, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the Division of Infectious Diseases at San Francisco General Hospital, is a molecular parasitologist whose investigative career is focused on elucidating the biology of Cryptosporidium species. In this AIDS Commentary Dr. Petersen provides an update on recent developments in this field.