A family outbreak of cryptosporidiosis: Probable nosocomial infection and person-to-person transmission.
Cryptosporidium is an important cause of community gastroenteritis, usually associated with drinking contaminated water, visits to swimming pools or animal exposure. In immunocompetent patients, cryptosporidiosis is usually a self-limiting disease but it can be devastating illness in immunocompromised persons. This report presents a family outbreak of cryptosporidiosis and describes a probable nosocomial infection with Cryptosporidium in one patient and subsequent spread of the parasite among members of his family. The index patient, a 72-year-old man with hemiparesis after his third stroke, died after 28 days of persistent diarrhea. Control measures must be undertaken to prevent nosocomial transmission of cryptosporidial oocysts.
Pandak
Nenad
N
Department of Infectious Diseases, General Hospital Dr. Josip Bencevic, Slavonski Brod, Croatia. npandak@net.hr
Zeljka
Kristof
K
Cvitkovic
Ante
A
D000368:Aged; D017523:Croatia; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged