Abstract:
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis and the associated factors,
and characterise the Cryptosporidium isolates from children aged five years and less
with diarrhoea.
Design: A prospective cross-sectional study.
Setting: This was a health facility and laboratory based study. Screening for
Cryptosporidium oocysts was done at the Microbiology laboratory, School of Medicine,
Moi University, Eldoret and genotyping and sub-genotyping at the Kenya Medical
Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
Subjects: Children aged five years and less seen at the outpatient clinic and those
admitted in the pediatric wards at MTRH were recruited into the study upon obtaining
assent and written consent from the parents or guardians.
Results: The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was 9.8% (N=317). A duration of diarrhoea
of more than two weeks was associated with cryptosporidiosis (OR= 1.8301) compared
to those with diarrhoea for less than one week. There were no sex related differences
in the cryptosporidiosis prevalence (P= 0.9752). Waste disposal, water sources and
treatment, and livestock in homesteads were not associated with cryptosporidiosis.
About 82% of the isolates were C. hominis and 18% were C. parvum. There were 6
subtypes of C. hominis and 4 subtypes of C. parvum in circulation.
Conclusion: The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis is comparable to other regions of the
world with C. hominisbeing the most common followed by C. parvum. Human-to-human
transmission is the main mode of spread of cryptosporidiosis. All the Cryptosporidium
isolates were from children residing in peri-urban and rural areas.
