Cryptosporidium genotypes and associated risk factors in a cohort of Egyptian children

Cryptosporidium is one of the most common, worldwide diarrheal diseases caused by parasites. Due to absence of an effective treatment, determining the prevailing species of Cryptosporidium is a key in identifying its transmission dynamics and a necessary precursor required for the planning and implementation of effective preventive and control strategies. This PCR-RFLP study was done to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in the stool of a cohort of Egyptian children and evaluate/assess associated risk factors for susceptibility to cryptosporidiosis, due to the lack of existent studies addressing Cryptosporidium transmission dynamics in humans and assessed risk factors in Egypt. Stool samples were collected from 431 children; 331 diarrheic and 100 apparently healthy non-diarrheic children; their data were recorded. Samples were processed for Copro-nPCR targeting Hsp90 gene and PCR-RFLP analysis for species identification. Variables which showed statistical significance for Cryptosporidium were included in a logistic regression analysis to identify the estimated risk. Out of 84 (19.5%) Cryptosporidium-positive samples (78 diarrheic and 6 non-diarreic), 75 (89.3%) were Cryptosporidium hominis, 6 (7.1%) were Cryptosporidium parvum, and 3 (3.6%) were non-typed. There was a significant association between Cryptosporidium detection in stool and the estimated risk factors: diarrhea, soft stool, and drinking from tap water. Cryptosporidium is an indigenous, prevailing intestinal parasite among children in Cairo that physicians must consider, especially in diarrheic, preschool-aged children, who drink from tap water. The finding of a predominance of C. hominis indicates anthroponotic rather than zoonotic transmission.