Seroprevalence of Cryptosporidial Antibodies During Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence

Abstract

Cryptosporidium parvum causes mild to moderately severe diarrhea in immunocompetent individuals. Cryptosporidial antibodies in the sera of 803 children seen at Children's Hospital of Oklahoma were measured by means of an ELISA. Thirteen percent of children younger than 5 years of age were seropositive for antibodies to C. parvum. The seropositivity rate for children who attended day-care facilities was higher than that for those who did not. In addition, children in this age group with a history of recent diarrhea were seropositive at a higher rate than were children without diarrhea. Thirty-eight percent of children (5-13 years of age) and 58% of adolescents (14-21 years of age) were seropositive for antibodies to C. parvum. Blacks and Native Americans in these age groups had higher seropositivity rates than did White non-Hispanics. There were no differences in seropositivity rates between sexes or between residents of the largest urban counties in Oklahoma and residents of the more rural counties. Exposure to C. parvum during childhood is common in Oklahoma. Socioeconomic factors may play a role in early exposure to this protozoal pathogen.

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in children along the Texas-Mexico border and associated risk factors.

“…In San Antonio children, C. parvum seroprevalence increased from 25% at ages 0-4, to 58% (ages [5][6][7][8] and 70% (age 9-13). Children ages 0-4 in colonias had a seroprevalence of 82%, which increased to 85% by ages 5-8, and 97% by ages 9-13.…”

“…6 The sensitivity and specificity of this test for C. parvum has been previously established. 7 Purified sonicated oocysts were diluted to 5x10 6 /mL in carbonate buffer (pH 9.6) and 100 L was added to each well of a 96-well ELISA plate (Nunc, Waperville, IL). The plate was incubated at 4ЊC for 18-36 hours and then washed 3 times with 0.05% Tween 20 in phosphatebuffered saline (PBS).…”

Human cryptosporidiosis: detection of specific antibodies in the serum by an indirect immunofluorescence

“…This finding could reflect a higher predisposition of those groups to infection with Cryptosporidium 8,11 .…”

Presença de Cryptosporidium spp em crianças com diarréia aguda em uma creche pública de Recife, Estado de Pernambuco

“…O registro da soroprevalência é geralmente alto nos portadores assintomáticos, por volta de 25 a 35% em países desenvolvidos e de até 95% na América latina 3 , inclusive em idosos 14 32 , em trabalhadores rurais 17 e em creches 14 . O número de portadores assintomáticos é determinado através de estudos coproparasitológicos, e são geralmente muito baixos (<1%) em países desenvolvidos 7 .…”