Cryptosporidiosis Among Children Attending Al-Nasser Pediatric Hospital, Gaza, Palestine

Aim: The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in patients with diarrhea who attended Al-Nasser Pediatric Hospital in Gaza. Materials and Methods: From January to May 2005, single stool specimens from each of 416 children attending Al-Nasser Hospital were examined by Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) stain and ELISA for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Results: Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 62 (14.9%) of the tested specimens by acid-fast staining technique and in 68 (16.3%) using ELISA kit. The number of infected females was found to be significantly higher than males (P = 0.03). The highest number of infected children was observed in March. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia lamblia, Ascaris lumbricoides and Hymenolepis nana were the most common parasites detected (14.4%, 7.2%, 0.7% and 0.7%, respectively). Conclusions: It is concluded that cryptosporidiosis still exists among children in Gaza. In addition, the diagnosis of protozoal parasites such as Cryptosporidium should draw more attention and should not be neglected due to its clinical importance