Cryptosporidium infection among primary school children in a rural area in Alexandria.

The present study was carried out on primary school children of both sexes to determine Cryptosporidium infection among them. A sample of 222 was randomly chosen. Their ages varied between 6 and 11 years. The required information as age, sex, socio-economic and environmental data, were collected through a designed questionnaire sheet. Stool samples were collected and examined, using Sheather's sugar solution and subjected to modified Ziell Neelsen stain. The results obtained revealed that, the prevalence rate of the infection was 13.51% among the examined pupils, with highest peak among the age group (6-8) years. No significant relation was found between sex and infection. There was a significant relation between infection and low socio-economic level. Also a significant relation was obtained between the infection and the presence of pets, livestock and animal's shed inside the house. A significant percentage of the infected pupils, were having a close contact with the soil through playing around the houses and in the field. The results revealed that a significant percentage of the infected children had diarrhoea.