The incidence of cryptosporidiosis in children: A one-year prospective survey in a general hospital in Spain

Abstract

The importance of Cryptosporidium species as a cause of diarrhea in the childhood population has increased since the examination of fecal samples has been introduced in microbiological laboratories.

A one-year prospective survey carried out on 699 children from rural and urban districts examined at the University Hospital in Salamanca (Spain) revealed 8 cases of cryptosporidiosis (1.1% of the children studied). Most of the cases (5 patients) were observed in the January-April period. Seven of the eight cases occurred in children younger than 3 years of age. All the children with cryptosporidiosis were immunocompetent. Diarrhea (75.0%) and vomiting (50.0%) were the most frequent clinical features of the cryptosporidiosis. In one quarter of the cases, other pathogens were associated.

A comparison is made with the incidence of giardiasis, which is the commonest intestinal parasitosis in our community.