Khushdil Arshad, Murtaza Fatima, Chattha Mazhar Nazir
Department of Paediatrics Combined Military Hospital Skardu, Pakistan.
Department of Paediatrics Women and Children Hospital Peshawar, Pakistan.
J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2016 Jul-Sep;28(3):575-577.
Cryptosporidiosis is a common cause of persistent diarrhoea in children in developing countries. Previously it was thought to be a major pathogenic organism in immuno-compromised children, but recent studies have shown it to be a common infectious agent in immune-competent children as well.
This descriptive case-series was carried out at Combined Military Hospital Skardu, Pakistan from August 2014 to June 2015. Fifty-three children aged 12 months to 12 years with history of persistent watery diarrhoea for more than 2 weeks, with no blood or mucous in it and no other systemic findings, were included in the study.
We examined 53 stool specimens from children with persistent diarrhoea for the presence of cryptosporidium as well other pathogenic organisms. There were 22 (41.5%) females and 31 (58.5%) males. Out of 53 samples, 11 (20.8%) samples were found to be positive for cryptosporidium. Twenty-seven (50.9%) samples were found to be negative for any intestinal pathogen.
It is concluded from this study that cryptosporidium is a very common infectious organism of persistent diarrhoea in this part of the country.
隐孢子虫病是发展中国家儿童持续性腹泻的常见病因。以前人们认为它是免疫功能低下儿童的主要致病病原体，但最近的研究表明，它在免疫功能正常的儿童中也是常见的感染源。
本描述性病例系列研究于2014年8月至2015年6月在巴基斯坦斯卡杜联合军事医院开展。纳入53名年龄在12个月至12岁之间、有持续水样腹泻病史超过2周、大便无血或黏液且无其他全身症状的儿童。
我们对53例持续性腹泻儿童的粪便标本进行了隐孢子虫及其他致病病原体检测。其中女性22例（41.5%），男性31例（58.5%）。53份样本中，11份（20.8%）隐孢子虫检测呈阳性。27份（50.9%）样本未检测到任何肠道病原体。
本研究得出结论，在该国的这一地区，隐孢子虫是持续性腹泻非常常见的感染源。
