title: Occurrence and significance of Cryptosporidium infection in Calcutta.
abstract: During a 2-year study, Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 32 (5.6%) of 566 hospitalized paediatric diarrhoea cases and 2 (1.2%) of 167 non-diarrhoeic individuals. Cryptosporidium was the sole pathogen detected in 17 (3.0%) of the 32 positive cases; in the other 15 it occurred in combination with one or more other established enteropathogen(s). The frequency of detection of the parasite was highest in the 0-6 months age group; no sex-specific difference was discernible. The detection rate of the parasite was highest during the monsoon and post-monsoon months. Most of the patients had watery stools with a mild to moderate degree of dehydration, with the diarrhoea lasting for less than 7 d.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Clinical Medicine, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR), Calcutta, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dutta
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: De
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pal
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D012621:Seasons