Occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in fecal samples submitted for routine microbiological examination

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Abstract
During a 7-mo. period, 2252 fecal samples submitted for routine microbiological examination from 1621 patients were screened for Cryptosporidium oocysts by the auramine staining method with Kinyoun acid-fast stain as the confirmatory stain. Cryptosporidium oocytes were detected in fecal samples from 19 (1.2%) patients, 18 of whom had gastroenteritis. Diarrheic stools from 14 of these 18 patients were negative for the usual enteropathogens but contained the oocytes in moderate to large numbers. Although Cryptosporidium oocytes were found in patients of all ages, they occurred slightly more frequently in infants and children than in the set. Cryptosporidium sp. as one of the common enteropathogens identified in fecal samples submitted for routine parasitological examination during the period of the survey and was 2nd only to Giardia sp. in terms of frequency. Considering cryptosporidiosis in the differential diagnosis of gastroenteritis in immunocompetent persons and including a search for Cryptosporidium oocytes in routine parasitological examinations of fecal samples appear warranted.