Cryptosporidiosis in Colombia: a Systematic Review

AbstractPurpose of ReviewCryptosporidium is an intestinal apicomplexan recently classified as a gregarine. It is associated with diarrhea both in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Direct person-to-person, zoonotic, and waterborne are the principal transmission routes. Despite the significant impact on public health of cryptosporidiosis, especially in developing countries, there are few studies on this parasitic disease. This systematic review will focus on the cryptosporidiosis situation in Colombia, describing the prevalence data on humans, other animals, and environmental sources. Species and subtypes, risk factors, and diagnosis techniques used in these studies are summarized.Recent FindingsSix electronic databases were searched for articles in Spanish, English, or Portuguese, using the keywordsCryptosporidium, cryptosporidiosis, intestinal parasites, and Colombia. Out of 569 studies identified in the electronic search, 42 articles were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in humans, animals, and water sources was 7.8, 20.4, and 38.9% respectively. Seroepidemiologic studies described a seropositivity prevalence rate of 83.3% in humans and 53.3% in adult cattle. Staining techniques were the most frequent method used in the parasite detection. Circulating species in Colombia includedC. parvum andC. hominis both in humans and animals;C. felis andC. viatorum in humans; andC. muris andC. bovis in felines and bovines,...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research