Cryptosporidiosis in a tertiary care hospital in Andhra Pradesh.

Enteric protozoal parasitic infection has become an important cause of morbidity in children and adults. In the developing countries the association of Cryptosporidium with acute and persistent diarrhoea has been striking. Stool samples from 1002 patients (800 adults and 202 children) suffering from diarrhoea or other gastrointestinal symptoms were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts by modified Ziehl Neelsen stained smears. C. parvum was detected in 2.99% of children and 0.12% adults. Other parasites detected were E. histolytica (6.18%), G. lamblia (1.49%), A. lumbricoides (1.49%), hookworm (1.39%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.39%), and Taenia (0.09%).