title: Cryptosporidium among children with acute diarrhoea in the west of Ireland.
abstract: During a period of 12 months beginning on 18 February 1985, 1246 specimens of faeces from 935 children aged 3 weeks to 12 years with acute diarrhoea of varying severity were examined for the presence of cryptosporidium oocysts. Twenty-six patients required admission to hospital; four of them needed intravenous rehydration. Predominant clinical features were diarrhoea, often watery, and vomiting. Diarrhoea varied in duration between 7-15 days. Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in specimens from 41 patients, an incidence of 4.3%. In four patients an additional enteropathogen was identified (Campylobacter species in two and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in two - serotypes 0126: K71 (B16) and 018C: K77 (B12]. None of the patients had recently travelled abroad. Of the children 23 were from a farming or rural background. Eight of the farms had recently had significant outbreaks of diarrhoea among calves. There was a marked seasonal variation with 27 of the cases arising between 18 February and 18 June, an incidence during this period of 8%.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D013997:Time Factors