Cryptosporidiosis in well-nourished and malnourished children.

During a 5-month period, 513 stool samples submitted to the enteric laboratory at the University Hospital of the West Indies were examined for Cryptosporidium. Oocysts were detected in 4.9% of all stools, 7.3% of diarrhoeal stools, 19.5% of stools from malnourished children and 23.7% of stools from malnourished children with diarrhoea. Cryptosporidium was the sole pathogen detected in all 25 positive stools, and was the second most frequent enteric isolate. All cases of cryptosporidiosis occurred in children less than 2.5 years of age. All 15 malnourished children were admitted to hospital where they presented with dehydration (87%), vomiting (93%), fever (100%) and diarrhoea which lasted an average of 15.3 days. Two of these children died. In contrast, dehydration (20%), vomiting (40%) and fever (50%) were less common and diarrhoea less protracted in well-nourished children, four of whom were admitted to hospital. This preliminary report suggests that cryptosporidial gastroenteritis presents with increased frequency and severity in malnourished compared with well-nourished Jamaican children.