The literature implicates these protozoan parasites in 3 main epidemiological scenarios-namely, (1) sporadic, often water-related, outbreaks of self-limiting diarrhea in otherwise healthy persons (2) chronic, life-threatening illness in immunocompromised patients, most notably those with HIV/AIDS and (3) diarrhea and malnutrition in young children in developing countries. Molecular targets from the recently sequenced parasite genome should be exploited to develop an effective and safe treatment for children.Ĭryptosporidium species are recognized globally as important causes of diarrhea in children and adults. Given the poor sanitation and hygiene, limited availability of antiretrovirals, and the high prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in children-independent of HIV infection-in this region, effective control measures for cryptosporidiosis are desperately needed. The preponderance of Cryptosporidium hominis, given its limited host range, and the dominance of the more ubiquitous Cryptosporidium parvum after coexposure to both species, however, suggest that the current knowledge of transmission is incomplete. Transmission in sub-Saharan Africa appears to occur predominantly through an anthroponotic cycle. This is despite advances in developed countries that have curbed the incidence of cryptosporidiosis in the general and HIV-positive populations. Hospital- and community-based studies in sub-Saharan Africa document a high prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in children aged 6–36 months, particularly among those who are malnourished or positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and during rainy seasons.
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