The frequency of cryptosporidiosis among gastroenteritic patients in western cities of Mazandaran Province (2007-2009)

Background: Gastroenteritis is caused by parasitic and non-parasitic microorganisms. Cryptosporidiosis is one of the parasitic diseases leading to acute or chronic gastroenteritis caused by Cryptosporidium spp. Self-limiting gastroenteritis is observed in immunocompetent individuals, but in immunocompromised patients it causes a sever disease. High humidity, ecological conditions, water supplies, domestic and industrial animal husbandry and the rate of raining have made the Mazandaran regions as a province for transmission of parasites. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of cryptosporidiosis among gastroenteritic patients in western cities of Mazandaran Province, during 2007-2009. Methods: This analytical study was conducted in cities of Chalus, Tonekabon, and Ramsar located in west Mazandaran province, northern Iran. Stool samples from patients with gastroenteritis and healthy individuals were collected, fixed and examined by direct method (DM) for the diagnosis of enteropathogenic and non-pathogenic parasites acid-fast staining (AFS) and auramine phenol fluorescence (APF) for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts and analysed using ANOVA and t- tests. Findings: The mean prevalence rate of parasitic infections in three cities was 2.38% with the highest rate of infection associated with Giardia lamblia (1.43%), Blastocystis hominis (0.71%), and Entamoeba coli (0.24%), respectively. No Cryptospordium sp. was observed among the test and control groups. Conclusion: Based on our data, a low rate of parasitic infection and also an absence of cryptospordiosis, compared to the previous studies, in western part of Mazandaran province were established. This may be associated with improvements in public health education, water treatment environmental sanitation, and low animal contacts during recent years.