Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in under-Five Children with Diarrhoea in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Aim: Cryptosporidiosis is the fifth leading cause of diarrhoea-related death globally among under-five children. This study was conducted to identify and characterize oocysts of Cryptosporidium in under-five children with diarrhoea in Ile-Ife.

Study Design: It was a case-control study.

Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Obafemi Awolowo University between April, and October 2019.

Methodology: Ethical approval was obtained for this study. Consent was also obtained from the parents of the children. Stool samples from 53 children with diarrhoea (cases) and 94 children without diarrhoea (controls) under five years of age were collected. A structured proforma was used to obtain relevant information from the parents of the children. Stool samples were collected and examined macroscopically for consistency, appearance, and colour. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining was carried out on all the stool samples. The samples positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts by staining were genotyped by nested polymerase chain reaction and confirmed by sequencing of their 18S rRNA genes. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS software version 20 and STATA 15.

Results: The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis among the study participants was 23.1% with rates of 43.4% (23) and 11.7% (11) for diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic children respectively. Of the 34 stool samples analysed, 6 (17.6%) were amplified by nested PCR and 4 (11.8%) were identified by sequencing. The species of Cryptosporidium identified were Cryptosporidium parvum (75%) and Cryptosporidium bovis (25%).

Conclusion: In conclusion, Cryptosporidiosis is prevalent among under-five children with Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium bovis as the infecting species.