EPIDEMIOLOGY OF GIARDIASIS AND CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS IN JAMAICA

We report the findings of a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of Gia rdia lamblia and Cryptosporidum infections in Jamaica. Three hundred t wenty eight stool samples from patients less than one to 81 years of a ge were examined using formalin-ether concentration for G. lamblia, Ze ihl-Neelsen staining for Cryptosporidium, and the Prospect (R) rapid e nzyme immunoassay (EIA; Alexon, Sunnyvale, CA) for parasite diagnosis. The Prospect (R) Giardia rapid assay detected 17 cases of G. lamblia infection compared with six by formalin-ether concentration. However, the Prospect (R) Cryptosporidum EIA did not increase the rate of detec tion of Cryptosporidum when compared with Zeihl-Neelsen staining. Cryp tosporidum infections were most frequently diagnosed in children less than five years old and prevalence decreased with age. In contrast, th e prevalence of giardiasis increased as children became older. There w ere no associations between the infections and stool consistency, clin ical manifestations, or sex of the individuals. The contribution of th e parasites to childhood morbidity will depend on accurate laboratory diagnosis.