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Cryptosporidium infection in children in urban Bangladesh
M K Bhattacharya1, T Teka, A S Faruque
1International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Insights
Cryptosporidium infection in young children is linked to stunting and not breastfeeding. These factors significantly increase the risk of infection, highlighting areas for targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Cryptosporidium is a significant cause of diarrheal illness in children globally.
- Understanding risk factors for Cryptosporidium infection is crucial for effective public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify risk factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection in children under 5 years old presenting with acute diarrhea.
- To investigate the association between stunting, breastfeeding status, and Cryptosporidium infection.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted using surveillance data from 1991-1994.
- Cases included 68 children with stool-positive Cryptosporidium; controls were 204 randomly selected children without Cryptosporidium.
- Data on age, breastfeeding, and stunting were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 3.5% of 1949 children with acute diarrhea.
- Common symptoms included watery diarrhea, dehydration, and vomiting.
- Stunting (P=0.031) and non-breastfed status (P=0.022) were significantly associated with increased risk of Cryptosporidium infection.
Conclusions:
- Stunting and lack of breastfeeding are significant risk factors for Cryptosporidium infection in young children.
- These findings underscore the importance of nutritional status and breastfeeding in preventing parasitic diarrheal diseases.
Abstract:
We reviewed data during 1991-94 from a systematic 4 per cent subsample of all patients who presented with diarrhoea to our facility, in which there were 1949 cases of acute diarrhoea in children between the ages of birth to 59 months. Cryptosporidia oocysts were detected in the stools of 68 (3.5 per cent) of these children. A case-control study was designed using surveillance data which included the 68 children with stool positive for Cryptosporidium as cases. Two hundred and four children who did not have Cryptosporidium were randomly selected to serve as controls. The most common presentations were watery diarrhoea (91 per cent), dehydration (81 per cent), and vomiting (71 per cent), and Cryptosporidium was detected throughout the year, but was most frequently isolated during April to October. Lowest rates of detection were observed in the months of November, December, and January. Age below 2 years, non-breastfeeding, and stunting were significantly associated with Cryptosporidium infection. In multivariate analysis of our study we found that only stunted (P = 0.031) and non-breastfed children (P = 0.022) had a greater risk of having Cryptosporidium infection.