Cryptosporidiosis in a tertiary care hospital

Background. Clyptosporidium, an important cause of diarrhoea, has been repo rted worldwide both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals an d has emerged as a serious public health problem. This study was undertaken to assess the present status of cryptosporidiosis in children and adults w ith diarrhoea who attended the Nehru Hospital, Chandigarh which is a tertia ry care hospital. Methods. Routine stool examination was done using saline and iodine stained preparations for various parasites. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen and rapid safra nin-methylene blue techniques were used to detect Clyptosporidium in 2000 s tool samples (1645 adults, 355 children) from March to November 1998. Results. Of the 2000 samples, 205 (10.2%) were positive for various parasit es. Five (1.4%) children were positive for Clyptosporidium and one child wa s positive for human immunodeficiency virus. in adults, Cryptosporidiumwas found in only one patient (0.06%). Giardia lamblia was the commonest parasi te detected both in adults (4%) and children (15.2%). Conclusion. The present study highlights the importance of Cryptosporidium as a cause of diarrhoea, especially in children. Thus, there is a need for specific staining techniques to detect Cryptosporidium in routine diagnosti c laboratories.