Cryptosporidium, malnutrition, and chronic diarrhea in children.
Cryptosporidium was found in the stools of 13.5% of 221 children hospitalized with diarrhea. It was the single most prevalent pathogen isolated. Children with Cryptosporidium-positive stools were significantly more malnourished than children in whom Cryptosporidium was not detected. Children with more severe malnutrition (ie, less than 50% of their expected weight) and with Cryptosporidium in their stools had a significantly longer duration of diarrhea than similarly malnourished children without Cryptosporidium (63 vs 32 days, respectively). In 77 better-nourished outpatients with diarrhea, Cryptosporidium was found in only 5.2% of cases and was associated with less-severe illness. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that in less-developed areas, Cryptosporidium is a major pathogen, not only in acute but also in chronic childhood diarrhea, and may play an important role in the interaction between diarrhea and malnutrition.
Sallon
S
S
Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
Deckelbaum
R J
RJ
Schmid
I I
II
Harlap
S
S
Baras
M
M
Spira
D T
DT
D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007223:Infant; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications*