• Mariam Danish Iqbal, Tahir Naeem, Umar Khurshid, and Fatima Hameed.
• Mariam Danish Iqbal, FCPS Microbiology. Pathology Department, Shalamar Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan.
• Pak J Med Sci. 2021 Jan 1; 37 (1): 121-124.

ObjectiveGlobally childhood diarrheal diseases continue to be the second leading cause of death. Cryptosporidium spp are important intestinal parasites that cause diarrhea in humans and animals particularly in developing countries. This investigation was carried out to find out the frequency of cryptosporidiosis in children presenting with persistent diarrhea.MethodsTwo hundred stool samples were collected in this descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at Microbiology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Lahore Pakistan between the months of July to Dec 2014. Children aged five years to 12 years who presented with persistent diarrhea were included in the study. Stool specimens were processed using the modified acid-fast staining method, and microscopically examined for Cryptosporidium infection.ResultsThe average age of study participants was 7.95 with a standard deviation of 2.21 years. Among the participants 66% were males whereas 34% were females. Twenty eight percent had presence of oocysts in stool samples.ConclusionsThe frequency of Cryptosporidiosis among children with persistent diarrhea was 28%. This high frequency indicates that this population is uniquely susceptible to infection. It also highlights the need for education about hygiene, accurate diagnosis, and treatment of Cryptosporidiosis. There is also a need for additional studies regarding the occurrence of this pathogen.Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.

3 keywords...

hide…