EVALUATING THE FREQUENCY OF CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS IN CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE PRESENTING WITH DIARRHEAL DISEASE

Authors

1 Department of Pediatrics, Kasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

2 Department of Parasitology, Kasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Cryptosporidium species are the second leading cause of diarrheal disease and death in children of developing
countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium among children
under 5 years old with diarrhea, who were admitted to a big tertiary hospital in Egypt.
This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study involving children 200aged <5 years old in the gastroenterology
causality at Cairo University Pediatric Hospital between February 2021 and October 2021. Morning
stool samples were microscopically examined as fresh smears and modified Ziehl-Neelsen stained materials.
The results showed that all participants suffered from diarrhea <30 months old. A high prevalence
21/200 (10.5%) of Cryptosporidium was detected. But, there was no significant difference between cryptosporidiosis
positive or negative cases with respect to stain technique, age, sex, residence, Z-score of
weight, symptoms, or stool consistency.

Keywords