Relationship of cryptosporidiosis to abdominal pain and diarrhea in Mayan Indians
Keywords:
Cryptosporidium, Abdominal pain, DiarrheaAbstract
Demonstration of cryptosporidiosis in Mayan Indians living around Lake Atitlan provided an opportunity to correlate infection with abdominal pain and/or diarrhea in different age groups of children. 94 subjects experiencing abdominal pain and/or diarrhea, between the ages of 2 and 13 were studied in towns around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, over a two-year period. Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in the feces of 29% of children who presented with abdominal pain and 21% with diarrhea. Of the 60 infected subjects, 45% were experiencing abdominal pain and 33% diarrhea, 22% had abdominal pain and diarrhea. Both abdominal pain and diarrhea were significantly higher in children under 10 years of age and were most prevalent in the 6-9 year old age group but the correlation of symptoms to infection was not significantly different as the ages of the children increased. The high frequency of abdominal pain and/or diarrhea with infection in children was consistent with cryptosporidiosis, a disease considered as one of several common intestinal infections that produce these symptoms.Downloads
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Published
2004-08-01
Issue
Section
Brief Communication
How to Cite
Bentley, C., Laubach, H., Spalter, J., Ginter, E., & Jensen, L. (2004). Relationship of cryptosporidiosis to abdominal pain and diarrhea in Mayan Indians . Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 46(4), 235-237. https://www.revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/30830