title: Cryptosporidium species: preliminary descriptions of the prevalence and genotype distribution among school children and hospital patients in the Venda region, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
abstract: In the present study, the prevalence and species distribution of Cryptosporidium among school children and hospital patients in the Venda region of South Africa was determined. Real time PCR (qPCR) was used for initial screening to detect positive samples while a nested PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine the species genotype. From a total of 244 stool samples tested, 44 (18%) had Cryptosporidium with no significant difference (chi(2)=0.04; P=0.841) between samples collected from patients attending hospitals 36/197 (18%) and the samples from primary schools 8/47 (17%). The age groups most affected were those from 2 to 5 years old (28.6%) and 50 to 59 years old (50.0%). Cryptosporidium was detected in 4 (12.5%) of the 31 HIV positive individuals. Fifty-seven percent of the Cryptosporidium positive samples were diarrheic and 26 (59.1%) had elevated lactoferrin content. C. hominis (82%) was more common than C. parvum (18%). This study has demonstrated the high prevalence of Cryptosporidium infections in the Venda region and its implications in causing diarrhea and inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Venda for Science and Technology, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa. samieamidou@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samie
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Bessong
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Obi
authors.forename: J E A D
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sevilleja
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stroup
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Houpt
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Guerrant
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012574:Schools; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007781:Lactoferrin