Childhood cryptosporidiosis: a case report

Abstract

Cryptosporidium has emerged as an important cause of diarrheal illness worldwide, especially amongst young children and patients with infectious or iatrogenic immune deficiencies. The authors describe a case of mild cryptosporidiosis in a well-nourished, immunocompetent, one-year-old child. Rapid clinical and parasitological improvement was observed after a 3-day course of nitazoxanide.

Figure 1

Amplification by nested PCR of Cryptosporidium DNA extracted from stool samples. The gel shows the amplification of a specific 861-bp fragment with specific primers [9]. Lane M: 123-bp DNA size marker ladder; lanes D0₁ and D0₂ (3 days later): samples collected before treatment; lanes D3–D28: samples collected after treatment; +: positive control; −: negative control.