Four years of cryptosporidiosis at GaRankuwa Hospital

Cryptosporidiosis was first recognised at GaRankuwa Hospital, a reference teaching hospital for mainly black patients near Pretoria, South Africa, in October 1985. Since then 289/6870 specimens (4.21%) submitted to the routine stool laboratory have been found to contain Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. Seasonal peaks were seen in late summer (January, February, March) and minimum case numbers were recorded during late winter (August, September). The disease was predominantly one of early childhood, with the majority of patients being under 3 years of age. Only six positive stools came from patients older than 12 years. Cryptosporidiosis has replaced giardiasis as the most commonly detected gastrointestinal parasitic infection of patients in this hospital. Oocysts were also found in the sputum of an 84-year-old male patient with a persistent productive cough.