The prevalence and risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection among children in the Mnisi community, South Africa

Abstract

In the present study, the prevalence and risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection among children in the Mnisi community of South Africa were investigated. Stool samples of children under the age of five years old were collected from March to June 2012. For the diagnosis of Cryptosporidium spp. samples were analyzed with the modified Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) technique. In addition, parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire to identify risk factors for cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 5.6% (8/143) of the children and three samples were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as C. hominis (2/3) and C. meleagridis (1/3). No significant risk factors for the infection of Cryptosporidium were found, due to low prevalence, low significance of diagnostic tests used and the unequal distribution of samples for each risk factor. Further studies are needed to investigate risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in children.