Abstract
The present study covered a diagnostic study by which the Cryptosporidium oocysts were identified in 302 samples, taken from children, using five laboratory techniques (Iodine staining, sugar flotation, modified acid fast (hot) stain, modified acid fast (cold) stain (Kinyoun) and formalin sedimentation technique), the total infection reached 20.52% in children aged from 6 days till 5 years, maximum rate of infection was 40.90% in children more than 2 to 3 months, while it wasn’t found in more than 2-5 years.
The study showed an infection rate among females 64.52% and 35.48% in males.
The study recorded a higher rate of infection using iodine staining technique 20.52% followed by sugar flotatin 19.20% then modified acid fast (hot) stain 15.23% formalin sedimentation 13.91% and finally modified Kinyoun cold modified stain 9.27% in children. As such the best technique for diagnosis was iodine staining with a 100% efficiency and 39.61% for sugar flotation technique, 67.79% for formalin sedimentation, while the efficacy of modified acid fast (hot) stain was 74.22% and 45.18% for modified acid fast (Kinyoun) cold stain.
The average diameter measurement of Cryptosporidium of oocysts was 4.3 micron . More clinical sign appeared was diarrhea 100% and abdominal pain 14.50% is the less.
Among children with artificial feeding the infection rate was 67.47% and 19.40%, 12.90% in breast and mixed feeding respectively.