RESUMO
This is the first work done on cryptosporidiosis among the children in Taiz, Yemen. A number of 712 samples were collected from children of different ages [ranging from 1 month to 12 years] from Dec 2006 to Aug 2007. The collected samples were examined by Sheather's sugar floatation and Modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain as well as ELISA methods. The test results were statistically analyzed by SPSS software. The overall positive percentage was 43.7%. The higher incidence [36.2%] was occurred in males while the lowest incidence [32.7%] was observed in females [r=0.876; P=0.001]. The correlation between infected cases and the type of drinking water was r=0.121. Among the cases examined by ELISA [92 cases], 26.1% were infected. The correlation between seropositivity and gender was r=0.652 [P=0.031]. Cryptosporidium spp. is a significant pathogen among children at Taiz. Fresh water supplies, education, eating habits and domestic animals are considered the main sources for transmission of cryptosporidiosis