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Case Reports
. 2023 Oct 27:13:1269963.
doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1269963. eCollection 2023.

Cryptosporidiosis diagnosed using metagenomic next-generation sequencing in a healthy child admitted to pediatric intensive care unit: a case report

Xiaoyi Liu #  1 , Jing Wang #  2 , Jun Liu  1 , Xuming Li  2 , Yuanlin Guan  2 , Suyun Qian  1 , Xinlei Jia  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Cryptosporidiosis diagnosed using metagenomic next-generation sequencing in a healthy child admitted to pediatric intensive care unit: a case report

Xiaoyi Liu et al. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. .

Abstract

Background: Cryptosporidium infections in humans typically result in symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. When the diarrhea is severe, it can cause serious complications and even be life-threatening, especially in patients with compromised immune systems.

Case presentation: Here, we reported the use of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of a 10-year-old boy with severe Cryptosporidium infection. Despite the absence of any history of immunocompromise, the infection still resulted in severe symptoms, including shock, as well as damage to his pancreas and kidneys. The mNGS tests detected the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum when conventional methods failed. The patient received anti-parasite treatment along with supportive care to manage the condition. With disease surveillance based on regular clinical tests and sequential mNGS tests, the child recovered from the severe conditions.

Conclusion: Our study emphasized the importance of recognizing the potential severity of Cryptosporidium infection, even among individuals with normal immune systems. Timely diagnosis and ongoing monitoring are essential for patient prognosis.

Keywords: Cryptosporidium parvum; PICU; healthy boy; mNGS; pancreatitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

JW, XML, and YG were employed by Hugobiotech Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The clinical tests and treatment timeline of the patient.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The proportion of detected Cryptosporidium parvum sequences in the total microbial sequences and the genome coverage (A) Day 3; blood samples (B) Day 6; anal swabs (C) Day 15; anal swabs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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