ABSTRACT
Ninety children infected with Cryptosporidium parvum attending Al-Azhar University Teaching Hospital (Assuit) were chosen (60 males & 30 females) with age range from 6 months to ten years. The patients were divided into two groups of 45 patients for each (G1 & G2). All patients suffered from chronic diarrhea for more than fifteen days. Cross-matched 45 children suffering from chronic diarrhea were used as a control group (G3). Stool samples were collected and examined for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts using Sheather's sugar and Modified Ziehl-Nelseen stain techniques. The first group (G1) received Nitazoxanide (100 mg and 200 mg every 12 hours for 3 days for children aged 6 months to 3 years and chil dren aged 4 to 10 years respectively), G2 received Paromomycin (25 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks). Third group received placebo. Significant improvement and shortening of the duration of diarrhea occur in G1; of 45 patients received Nitazoxanide 39 cases showed complete clinical and laboratory cure (86.6%), 5 cases showed clinical improvement with reduction in the number of oocysts and 1 case showed no cure. In G2 of 45 cases received Paromomycin 31 cases showed complete cure (68.8%), 8 cases showed clinical improvement with reduction of oocysts number and 6 cases were not cured. Nitazoxanide proved highly effective than Paromomycin in cryptosporidiosis.
