Childhood cryptosporidiosis and intestinal parasitosis in association with diarrhoea in Kwara State, Nigeria.

The faecal samples of one-hundred and ninety eight children aged 0-14 years with diarrhoea or loose watery stools attending the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (U.I.T.H) over a period of 18 months were examined for Cryptosporidium and other intestinal parasites, using a light microscope for direct smear and after concentration for formol-either method and staining with safranin-methylene blue technique. Thirty (15.1%) samples were positive for Crptospo-ridium oocyst while seventy (35.3%) were positive for regular intestinal parasites. The male-female ratio for positive cases for the two groups of entric pathogens were 1.3:1 and 3:2 respectively. Concomitant oocyst secretion occurred with other intestinal parasites except for hookworm. Also, the usual intestinal parasites were found more commonly in diarrhoea stools than in control stools where no oocyst was detected. 86.7% oocyst secretion occurred in the 0-2 years age group, but oocysts were not encountered after the age of 4 years. There was a positive correlation between Cryptosporidiosis and other intestinal parasitic agents of diarrhoea (P<0.01). The health implications of these findings are fully discussed.