title: Risk of Cryptosporidium parvum transmission between hospital roommates.
abstract: Patients with active diarrhea caused by infection with Cryptosporidium parvum can potentially contaminate the environment, which could serve as a risk for transmission to other patients in a hospital setting. A retrospective cohort study was performed to quantify the risk of nosocomial roommate-to-roommate transmission of Cryptosporidium and to evaluate the need for isolation of Cryptosporidium-infected patients. Thirty-seven human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected roommates of 21 index patients with Cryptosporidium were identified between 1994 and 1996. Each exposed roommate (median CD4 cell count, 27cells/mm(3)) was matched to an HIV-infected, unexposed roommate with a similar CD4 cell count (median, 24 cells/mm(3)) who was present in the hospital during the same month but was not a roommate of a patient with Cryptosporidium infection. No patients with Cryptosporidium were identified among the 37 exposed roommates, and 1 case was identified among the 37 unexposed roommates. The risk ratio for chronic diarrhea was 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-2.75) and for death was 1.04 (95% CI, 0.75-1.44). These results suggest that isolation of adult patients with Cryptosporidium diarrhea is not necessary to prevent roommate-to-roommate transmission of Cryptosporidium.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Blass
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Blumberg
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lennox
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: del Rio
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Horsburgh
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010356:Patient Isolation; D012307:Risk Factors