Cryptosporidiosis in children in sub-Saharan Africa: A lingering challenge



Mor, Siobhan M ORCID: 0000-0003-0121-2016 and Tzipori, Saul
(2008) Cryptosporidiosis in children in sub-Saharan Africa: A lingering challenge. CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 47 (7). pp. 915-921.

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Abstract

Hospital- and community-based studies in sub-Saharan Africa document a high prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in children aged 6-36 months, particularly among those who are malnourished or positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and during rainy seasons. This is despite advances in developed countries that have curbed the incidence of cryptosporidiosis in the general and HIV-positive populations. Transmission in sub-Saharan Africa appears to occur predominantly through an anthroponotic cycle. The preponderance of Cryptosporidium hominis, given its limited host range, and the dominance of the more ubiquitous Cryptosporidium parvum after coexposure to both species, however, suggest that the current knowledge of transmission is incomplete. Given the poor sanitation and hygiene, limited availability of antiretrovirals, and the high prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in children-independent of HIV infection-in this region, effective control measures for cryptosporidiosis are desperately needed. Molecular targets from the recently sequenced parasite genome should be exploited to develop an effective and safe treatment for children.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Animals, Humans, Cryptosporidium, HIV Infections, Cryptosporidiosis, Child Nutrition Disorders, Prevalence, Child, Preschool, Infant, Africa South of the Sahara
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 19 Jun 2018 06:23
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 01:31
DOI: 10.1086/591539
Open Access URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC27247...
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3022737