PREVALENCE OF INFECTION WITH CRYPTOSPORIDIUM-PARVUM AND CYCLOSPORA-CAYETANENSIS AMONG INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS

Background-Cryptosporidium parvum and Cyclospora cayetanensis are reco gnised as possible pathogens of traveller's diarrhoea. Aims-To identif y the prevalence of C parvum and Cyc cayetanensis in travellers return ing from developing countries. Patients-Nine hundred and seventy eight stool samples were taken from 795 patients returning from developing countries. Methods-Microscopy (iron-haematoxylin stain, SAF concentrat ion, modified acid fast stain) and a commercially available enzyme lin ked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for the detection of Cryptosporidi um antigen in stool. Results-Of the 795 patients in the study, 469 suf fered from diarrhoea. Infection with Cyc cayetanensis could be detecte d in five subjects (1.1%) by acid fast stain, and 13 patients (2.8%) w ere infected with C parvum. On evaluation, the antigen capture ELISA t urned out to be clearly less sensitive for detection of C parvum than microscopy. All patients with either C parvum or Cyc cayetanensis infe ction suffered from watery diarrhoea. Conclusions-C parvum and Cyc cay etanensis are not major causes of diarrhoea in international traveller s. In cases of persistent watery diarrhoea, however, these pathogens s hould be taken into account in the differential diagnosis.