Prevalence of Cryptosporidium Patvum in Patients with chronic Diarrhoea in Hoima District; Uganda

ABSTRACT

Chronic diarrhoea was defined as 2 or more unusually loose stools daily for at least a month. For each patient; a single stool specimen was collected and concentrated with formal- ether concentration method. Two air dried thin smears were then stained by a modified Kinyoun method for cryptosporidium. One observer (M.R) did all the microscopy. Cryptosporidium oocytes were detected in 36of AIDS patients (Chi-square test and P respectively) although cryptosporidium is found 8 times more in AIDS patients. There is also a high frequency of asymptomatic cyst-passers in this area among AIDS patients but not in the healthy controls. Cryptosporidium parvum is a well known opportunitic infection in AIDS patients with diarrhoea although it is now recognised as a frequent cause of diarrhoea in otherwise healthy humans as well. Investigations for cryptosporidium infection in Africa have mainly focused on AIDS patients with chronic diarrhoea and it has been found frequently in such patients; at a prevalence rate varying from 4to 48. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the prevalence of cryptosporidium in four groups 1. AIDS patients with chronic diarrhoea (50 cases). 2. AIDS patients without diarrhoea (50 cases)