Cryptosporidium has emerged as an important cause of diarrheal illness worldwide, especially amongst young children and patients with infectious or iatrogenic immune deficiencies. The authors describe a case of mild cryptosporidiosis in a well-nourished, immunocompetent, one-year-old child. Rapid clinical and parasitological improvement was observed after a 3-day course of nitazoxanide. 1. Introduction Cryptosporidium, a spore-forming protozoon, has been recognized as a human pathogen since 1976 [1]. The species most frequently involved in human infections are Cryptosporidium hominis, which primarily infects humans, and Cryptosporidium parvum, which infects humans and animals such as cattle, although infection with unusual species and genotypes occurs in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised populations [2]. In immunocompetent individuals, infection causes self-limited watery diarrhea. While, in patients with immune deficiencies, cryptosporidiosis may present as chronic or severe life-threatening diarrhea. In children, mainly those living in developing countries, cryptosporidiosis can lead to malnutrition and developmental delays [3]. Even asymptomatic infections are associated with growth deficits [4]. In industrialized countries, Cryptosporidium also has important public health implications. Cryptosporidium spp. are known to cause traveler’s diarrhea [5] and they are also responsible for outbreaks of diarrhea, including a memorable outbreak in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1993 during which nearly 403,000 people developed cryptosporidiosis due to contamination of drinking water [6]. These outbreaks highlight the medical importance of cryptosporidiosis. Antimotility drugs play a key role in the treatment of cryptosporidiosis in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals, while the efficacy of antiparasitic drugs in cryptosporidiosis remains controversial, particularly in immunocompromised individuals [7]. A recent meta-analysis of trials of antiparasitic drugs in cryptosporidiosis revealed significant improvement of non-AIDS patients with nitazoxanide, but no clear evidence of efficacy for other antiparasitic drugs in cryptosporidiosis or for nitazoxanide in AIDS patients [8]. We describe the clinical and parasitological course of a child with cryptosporidiosis, who was treated successfully with nitazoxanide (Alinia, Romark Laboratories). 2. Case Report A 16-month-old child was admitted to the pediatrics department of Amiens University hospital (France) for diarrheal syndrome associated with rhinitis. He was born in France to French parents
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