Cryptosporidium in children with diarrhea: a hospital-based Study
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Published on: September 14, 2019
Purbasha Bera1, Shukla Das, Rumpa Saha
1Departments of Microbiology and *Pediatrics, University college of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi, India Correspondence to: Dr Purbasha Bera, Department of Microbiology, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi 110 095, India. drpurbasha@gmail.com.
Insights
Cryptosporidium is a significant cause of diarrhea in children under five. Antigen detection is more effective than acid-fast staining for identifying this parasitic infection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Parasitology
- Public health
Background:
- Diarrhea remains a leading cause of mortality in children under five globally.
- Cryptosporidium is an important enteric pathogen contributing to childhood diarrhea.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the proportion of diarrhea cases in under-five children caused by Cryptosporidium.
- To identify demographic and clinical factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection.
Main Methods:
- Stool specimens were collected from 175 children under five with diarrhea.
- Samples were analyzed using Kinyouns acid-fast staining and a commercial ELISA kit for Cryptosporidium antigen detection.
Main Results:
- Cryptosporidium antigen was detected in 48 (27.4%) of the children's stool specimens.
- No significant association was found between Cryptosporidium infection and gender, animal contact, hydration, breastfeeding, or nutritional status.
Conclusions:
- Cryptosporidium is a prevalent cause of diarrhea in this pediatric population.
- ELISA-based antigen detection demonstrated a higher isolation rate compared to acid-fast staining for Cryptosporidium.
Objective:
To estimate the proportionate contribution of Cryptosporidium to diarrhea in under-five children, and to study its demographic and clinical associates.
Methods:
We collected stool specimens from children (age <5 yrs) suffering from diarrhea. The specimen was examined on the same day by Kinyouns acid-fast staining for the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst; rest of the sample was preserved for later cryptosporidium antigen detection by commercially available ELISA kit.
Results:
Out of 175 children with diarrhea, 48 (27.4%) had Cryptosporidium antigen in their stool specimen. Gender, history of contact with domestic animal, hydration status, breastfeeding and nutritional status were not significantly associated with cryptosporidium infection in children with diarrhea.
Conclusion:
Cryptosporidium is present in a significant portion of children suffering from diarrhea in our setting. Antigen detection has much higher isolation rate than acid-fast staining.
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