SEROPREVALENCE OF CRYPTOSPORIDIAL ANTIBODIES DURING INFANCY, CHILDHOOD, AND ADOLESCENCE

Cryptosporidium parvum causes mild to moderately severe diarrhea in im munocompetent individuals. Cryptosporidial antibodies in the sera of 8 03 children seen at Children's Hospital of Oklahoma were measured by m eans 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 th at 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 seropo sitive for antibodies to C. parvum. Blacks and Native Americans in the se age groups had higher seropositivity rates than did White non-Hispa nics. There were no differences in seropositivity rates between sexes or between residents of the largest urban counties in Oklahoma and res idents of the more rural counties. Exposure to C. parvum during childh ood is common in Oklahoma. Socioeconomic factors may play a role in ea rly exposure to this protozoal pathogen.