Apparent rarity of cryptosporidiosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related diarrhoea in Enugu, South-Eastern, Nigeria.

Cryptosporidium is the most frequently implicated organism in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related diarrhoea worldwide. Because of the increasing incidence and prevalence of HIV infection in Nigeria and the associated increase in the number of patients presenting with chronic diarrhoea, it has become necessary to determine the prevalence of this organism in HIV-infected patients in Enugu, South Eastern Nigeria. One hundred and eighty nine (189) adult patients with chronic diarrhoea admitted to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu from August 1996 to October 1997 were further evaluated by serological testing for HIV infection. Their stool specimens were examined by light microscopy after staining by a modified cold Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) method. Out of the 189 patients (117 males and 72 females), 161 had HIV infection (85.19%) whereas 28 (14.81%) were HIV-negative. Neither the HIV-infected nor the HIV-negative patients had cryptosporidium oocysts or any other acid-fast organism in stool. Intestinal cryptosporidiosis is not common in HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhoea in Enugu. More studies are needed to further confirm this trend.