Cryptosporidiosis in hospital patients with gastroenteritis

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1983 Sep;32(5):931-4. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1983.32.931.

Abstract

Among 884 hospital patients with gastroenteritis, 36 (4.1%) were excreting Cryptosporidium oocysts in their stools; only 5 of the 36 patients were also excreting other enteropathogens, while none of 320 hospital patients without gastroenteritis were excreting Cryptosporidium oocysts. Children were more commonly infected with Cryptosporidium (4.8%) than were adults (1.6%). The prevalence of infection was higher (7%) during the summer period of February-May 1981 than in the remainder of the observation period to the beginning of June 1982 (1.9%). The most common clinical manifestation of gastroenteritis in Cryptosporidium-infected patients was diarrhea, lasting from 3 to over 14 days, accompanied by vomiting, anorexia, and abdominal pain. The results show that a small proportion of patients with gastroenteritis are infected with Cryptosporidium, and the importance of the infection needs to be examined.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Australia
  • Child
  • Coccidia / isolation & purification
  • Coccidiosis / epidemiology*
  • Coccidiosis / parasitology
  • Diarrhea / etiology
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Gastroenteritis / etiology*
  • Gastroenteritis / parasitology
  • Humans
  • Seasons