Family outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Serbia: Case report

Abstract

Introduction. Cryptosporidiosis is an acute infectious parasitic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, considered as zoonosis underestimated in immunocompetent population. The pathogen is primarily the cause of devastating diarrhea in AIDS patients. Solitary cases and small outbreaks in immunocompetent persons are rarely discovered. There is also a human strain of cryptosporidium. Case Outline. In December 2010, we examined three family members among whom each successively developed acute gastroenteritis. Their stools were liquid, light brown, without mucus or blood. All of them had abdominal cramps and generalized muscle pains. The daughter had fever and vomited during the first two days. The patients were administered symptomatic therapy. Complaints resolved after 10-17 days, with general condition moderately changed. Cryptosporidium was confirmed in the stool of patients who were second and third to contract the disease. We presumed that the first person released pathogen before the time of examination, although she still had diarrhea. All of them recovered completely. By epidemiologic survey we were unable to presume with certainty the source of infection. Conclusion. This is the first description of cryptosporidiosis in immunocompetent individuals in Serbia, which proves that it is present in our country, and that search for it should be included into a routine parasitological check-up of stool. Taking into account the distance in onset time complaints, all combinations are possible; from infection among family members (shortest incubation period) to family members infected from an identical source (different incubation period). Negative finding of the sample collected on the 7th day from the beginning of symptoms does not exclude the diagnosis in this particular situation. Further epidemiologic studies of this disease are necessary as it is clear that it exists in our population. At that moment we were unable to do typization.