High prevalence of Cryptosporidium in young children with prolonged diarrhea.

A prospective study was done to identify Cryptosporidium in the stools of young children, aged 2 months to 3 years, admitted to hospital. Of a total of 387 stool samples from 387 individuals, 131 stool specimens forming the control group were from children with non-diarrheal, respiratory tract infections, 200 and 56 stool samples were from children with acute diarrhea and prolonged diarrhea, respectively. No Cryptosporidium was discovered in the control group. Only 1 sample positive for Cryptosporidium was found in the group with acute diarrhea, whereas 4 samples of Cryptosporidium were found in the group with prolonged diarrhea. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in the group with prolonged diarrhea was significantly higher than the other two groups (p < 0.05). In those children with prolonged diarrhea, Cryptosporidium should always be included in the differential diagnosis.

Intestinal parasitosis in the monks and novices at kanmphaeng saen district, nakhon pathom province.

In September 1988, the authors examined 173 fecal specimens of the monks and novides at Kamphaeng Saen Mong College, Kamphaeng Saen District, Nakhon Pathom Province, central Thailand, 56 km from Bangkok. The presence of parasites was found in 48.56% of apecimens examined. These were hookworm Opisthorchis viverrini, Strongyloides stercoralis Echinostome eggs, Tania eggs, Trichuris trichiura, Blastocystis hominis, Entamoeba coli, Giardia lamblia, Trichomonas hominids, and Fntamoeba histolytic encountered in 12.39%, 17.34%, 8.6%, 2.31%, 1.16%, 0.58%, 7.51, 4.62%, 4.05%, 1.16 and 0.58% restively. Praziquantel 40 mg/lg and niclosamide 2 gm were given in single dose orally for the fluke infections and taeniasis respectively. Metronidazole 400 mg and 700 mg thrice daily for 7 and 10 days were also given for fiardiasis and amoebiasis respectively.