Cryptosporidiosis in a tertiary care hospital.
BACKGROUND
Cryptosporidium, an important cause of diarrhoea, has been reported worldwide both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals and has emerged as a serious public health problem. This study was undertaken to assess the present status of cryptosporidiosis in children and adults with diarrhoea who attended the Nehru Hospital, Chandigarh which is a tertiary care hospital.


METHODS
Routine stool examination was done using saline and iodine stained preparations for various parasites. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen and rapid safranin-methylene blue techniques were used to detect Cryptosporidium in 2000 stool samples (1645 adults, 355 children) from March to November 1998.


RESULTS
Of the 2000 samples, 205 (10.2%) were positive for various parasites. Five (1.4%) children were positive for Cryptosporidium and one child was positive for human immunodeficiency virus. In adults, Cryptosporidium was found in only one patient (0.06%). Giardia lamblia was the commonest parasite detected both in adults (4%) and children (15.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study highlights the importance of Cryptosporidium as a cause of diarrhoea, especially in children. Thus, there is a need for specific staining techniques to detect Cryptosporidium in routine diagnostic laboratories.
Sethi
S
S
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Sehgal
R
R
Malla
N
N
Mahajan
R C
RC
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000469:parasitology*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence