Phynotypic and molecular detection of cryptosporidium isolates from diarrhoetic patients attending Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa

Abstract

Background: Cryptosporidium is a genus of apicomplex an parasitic alveolates, one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhoea in humans.

Aim:to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species from diarrhoeic stool samples collected from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS)  children and the elderly attending the Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa.

Methodology: A total of two hundred and six (206) human faecal samples were collected, of which one hundred and six (106) from males and one  hundred (100) from females, out of the 206, 119 were from HIV/AIDS. Samples analyzed for the presence of Cryptosporidium species using Modified Ziehl  Neelsen staining (MZN) technique and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Results: Out of the 206 specimens examined by Modified Ziehl Neelsen Stain 20(9.7%) were positive for Cryptosporidium species; from these 20 positive  samples, 12(5.8%) were from HIV positive patients, 9(4.4%) were detected in children of the age-group 1-10 years, 4(1.9%) in 11-20 years, and 7(3.5%) in  20 years and above. Out of 158 watery diarrhoeic and 48 semi-formed non-diarrhoeic samples, 16(7.8%) and 4(1.9%) were positive for Cryptosporidium  species respectively. Three (3) out of the 20 positive samples by Modified Ziehl Neelsen stain subjected to molecular analysis using PCR technique were  positive to Cryptosporidium species. Out of these 3 positive samples, 2(0.9%) were from children of age-group 1-10 years, and 1(0.48%) from adults above  20 years. Out of these same 3-positive to molecular analysis 2(0.97%) were females and 1(0.49%) was male.

Conclusion: Females had higher rate of    Cryptosporidiosis than their male counterparts.