[The occurrence of Cryptosporidium in a group of children and adults with diarrhoea of undetermined earlier aetiology].

In Poland since 2002 it is required to report the cases of human cryptosporidiosis, but so far none has been recorded. The aim of this study was to present some preliminary results of a study on the incidence of Cryptosporidium as a pathogen in children and adults with diarrhoea of undetermined aetiology. In 36 out of 246 stool samples collected from hospitalized patients with diarrhoea of undetermined aetiology, invasive parasite oocysts were detected. All positive results were obtained in a group of children aged up to 4 years (47.5%). The percentage of invasion in this age group was statistically significantly higher than in the group of children aged 12 months and children over 48 months of age, which was respectively 16.2% (p = 0.0018) and 7.7% (p < or = 0.001). On the basis of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) it was found that oocysts isolated from stool samples belonged to species of Cryptosporidium parvum and/or Cryptosporidium hominis. In adults with diarrhoea, and among healthy children, no oocysts of Cryptosporidium were found. The analysis of the results demonstrated that Cryptosporidium is one of a cause of diarrhoea in young children in Poland. This is an indication for the introduction of tests for cryptosporidiosis to the schedule of routine diagnostics of gastrointestinal infections in children. This work has been partly founded by Med-Vet-Net. Workpackages 22 Met-Vet-Net is an EU-founded.