Cryptosporidiosis: a pathogen more common than appreciated.

Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a protozoan species which can produce an enteritis in humans. Until recently it was thought to primarily infect immunocompromised individuals but is now known to affect immunologically intact persons as well. It is capable of causing a severe diarrhea in small children. Discovery that the organism takes an acid-fast stain has aided greatly in its recognition in the clinical laboratory. There is no effective antimicrobial treatment, thus recognition and careful infection control practices become very important. The authors report stool studies of 247 pediatric age individuals in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area over a four-month period. Three positive cultures for salmonella were found (1.4%) and four instances of cryptosporidium were identified (1.6%). This is similar to other reports and indicates that this organism is now one of the more frequent non-viral causes of diarrhea in children. It tends to be more common in rural areas.