Cryptosporidium sp. in children suffering from acute diarrhea at Uberlândia city, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

RESUMO

This study's objective was to search for Cryptosporidium sp. in diarrheic feces from children aged zero to 12 years and cared for at medical units within Universidade Federal de Uberlândia or at a private practice in Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from September 1992 to August 1993. Three fecal samples preserved in 10 per cent formalin, were collected from 94 children. Oocyst concentration was perfomed through Ritchie's (modified) method and staining of fecal smears for each sample (total of 1128 slides) was done by the "Safranin/Methylene Blue" and the Kinyoun (modified)" techniques. The Hoffmann, Pons & Janer method was also employed to look for the other enteroparasites. From 94 children, 4.26 per cent excreted fecal Cryptosporidium oocysts. The infection seemed to vary according to age; 5.08 per cent of patients aged zero to two years old; 33.33 per cent of those aging eight to ten years (P>0.05). Cryptosporidium appeared in November, December and March, during the rainy season. 20.21 per cent of the children harbored at least one enteroparasite different from cryptosporidium, mainly Giardia intestinalis (12.77 per cent). From Cryptosporidium infected patients, two had only this kind, another harbored Giardia intestinalis; the last one hosted Strongyloides stercoralis.