Cryptosporidium in Children with Diarrhea: A Hospital-based Study.

Objective: To estimate the proportionate contribution of Cryptosporidium to diarrhea in under-five children, and to study its demographic and clinical associates Methods: We collected stool specimens from children (age <5 yrs) suffering from diarrhea. The specimen was examined on the same day by Kinyoun’s acid-fast staining for the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst; rest of the sample was preserved for later cryptosporidium antigen detection by commercially available ELISA kit. Results: Out of 175 children with diarrhea, 48 (27.4%) had Cryptosporidium antigen in their stool specimen. Gender, history of contact with domestic animal, hydration status, breastfeeding and nutritional status were not significantly associated with cryptosporidium infection in children with diarrhea. Conclusion: Cryptosporidium is present in a significant portion of children suffering from diarrhea in our setting. Antigen detection has much higher isolation rate than acid-fast staining.