Asymptomatic cryptosporiosis in a periurban slum setting in Kolkata, India--a pilot study.

We report the results of a prospective study conducted among asymptomatic children of slum dwellers in Kolkata, eastern India, to assess the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum during the period of October 2002 to July 2003. Of the 609 fecal samples examined, C. parvum was detected in 14 (2.3%). The study indicated that poor sanitary conditions may be cofactors for the cryptosporidial disease burden among slum dwellers. The implications of asymptomatic infections have been discussed.