Nosocomial sources of cryptosporidial infection in newly admitted patients in Ain Shams University Pediatric Hospital.

Cryptosporidium parvum has a world wide distribution. Numerous nosocomial outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis have occurred, also numerous well documented water born outbreaks have occurred. The present study included 104 patients and 27 contacts, both were subjected to stool examination by MZN stain. ELISA for detection of Cryptosporidium Ag in stool was further carried out for the patients developing diarrhea after admission (12), patients admitted with diarrhea (17), and for contacts. Twenty four water samples collected from Pediatric Hospital, and examined by MZN and ELISA. The results showed that 11.5% of examined cases developed diarrhea after admission. 8% of them were positive for cryptosporidiosis by both MZN and ELISA. 17% (3/27) of the contacts were negative by MZN stain. ELISA was found to be 100% sensitive, 94.1% specific. Water samples were found to be negative for C. parvum.