Cryptosporidiosis as threatening health problem: A review

Abstract

The protozoa under the genus Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic apicomplexan obligate intracellular parasite. Cryptosporidiosis, the term used to designate infection caused by Cryptosporidium sp., is considered as one of the most common food and waterborne diseases with worldwide spread, acting as a common cause of diarrhoea in animals and man. In immunocompetent individuals, Cryptosporidium typically induces self-limiting diarrhoea, which may resolve on its own after 2-3 d. However, cryptosporidiosis may turn life-threatening and subsequently lead to death in small children, the elderly and immunocompromised person, especially in AIDS patient. The diagnosis for Cryptosporidium infection is usually carried out through examination of stool for the presence of oocysts which measured 4-6 μm with spherical appearance. Morphometric identification is often difficult because of the diminutive size and obscure internal structure of the protozoa. Often, the identification of Cryptosporidium is realised through the combination of methods incorporating data from morphometrics, molecular techniques, and host specificity. However, limitations to some of these techniques still exist whether because of cost, duration, expertise, or reliability. Drugs combination is implemented in treatment of cryptosporidiosis. The efficiency of paromomycin, an aminocyclitol antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces, can be effective when combined use with protease inhibitors or recombinant IL-12. Since there is no drug that achieves the complete removal of Cryptosporidium from the host, supportive therapy was preferred in both human and domestic animals.

Intestinal Parasitoses in HIV Infected Children in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

“…Most of the patients in the present study presented at the symptomatic and advanced clinical stages of HIV in which coinfections are common. Cryptosporidium has been previously noted to present with recurrent abdominal pains and cramps among HIV infected individuals [14,15]. This lends credence to the significant association between abdominal pain and intestinal cryptosporidium in the present study.…”

“…The high rates of cryptosporidial infection in the present study may probably be due to difficulties in isolating the aetiologic pathogen which is surmised to untowardly impact negatively on disease management. Cheap and effective drugs for the management of cryptosporidiosis are also scarce [14,15].…”

“…Chronic diarrhoea was not noted in this case series probably because there was no child with AIDS amongst them. Chronic diarrhoea is however very common amongst AIDS patients [15,21,22].…”

Expression and Purification of gp40/15 Antigen of Cryptosporidium parvum Parasite in Escherichia coli: an Innovative Approach in Vaccine Production

“…Cryptosporidiosis is an infectious disease that is caused by a protozoan parasite called Cryptosporidium parvum (21). This parasite is a potential life-threatening factor in patients with suppressed immune system, and can cause diarrhea (22,23).…”

Molecular Study of Cryptosporidium spp. in Dogs from Southwest of Iran

“…Cryptosporidium spp. infects the epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract (primarily small intestine and colon) of hosts and may induce clinical or subclinical signs, including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, anemia, anorexia, dermatitis, and loss of weight, yet, occasionally, some infected hosts may present no symptoms (4,5).…”