title: Molecular copro-prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Egyptian children and evaluation of three diagnostic methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine molecular prevalence of Cryptosporidium in a cohort of Egyptian children and compare three diagnostic tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stool samples from children with diarrhea (n=150) and from apparently healthy children (n=100) were examined for Cryptosporidium using microscopy, enzyme linked immuosorbant assay (ELISA) and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  nPCR detected Cryptosporidium in 22.4% of children. Acid-fast stain and ELISA showed false negativity but 100% specificity with nPCR as gold standard.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cryptosporidium is a common cause of diarrhea in children in Egypt.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, and *Medical Parasitology, Kasr Al-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Correspondence to: Dr Ayman A El-Badry, Medical Parasitology Department,  Kasr Al-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, El Manial, Cairo, Egypt. aelbadry@kasralainy.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Mona M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fathy
authors.forename: Noha M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Abdelrazek
authors.forename: Fayza A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Ayman A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: El-Badry
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000469:parasitology; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity