Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidiosis Causes
Drinking water, swimming in the water, and eating uncooked food contaminated with cryptosporidium are some of the common methods for ingesting cells of the cryptosporidium parasite. Close contact with infected people and animals especially their stool can transmit parasite from your hands to your mouth.
Cryptosporidiosis Definition
Cryptosporidiosis is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract characterized predominantly by diarrhea usually starting when a tiny one-celled parasite called Cryptosporidium enter the body and travel and hollow out in the small intestinal wall and force out of the body by means of feces.
Cryptosporidiosis Diagnosis
Acid staining test on a stool sample which can identify cryptosporidium under a microscope is the easiest method in diagnosing cryptosporidiosis.
Cryptosporidiosis Symptoms and Signs
The remarkable symptom of cryptosporidiosis is the episodes of watery diarrhea lasting up to two weeks; usually 1-2 weeks after cryptosporidium infection. Dehydration, malnutrition, and weight loss are evident due to frequent bouts of watery diarrhea. Stomach pain, fever, nausea, vomiting and malaise are also symptoms that may appear after the infection.
Cryptosporidiosis Treatment
Treatment is aimed at lessening the symptoms and improving the immune system of an infected individual by means of anti-motility medications to relieve diarrhea, anti-parasitic drug like azithromycin to alleviate diarrhea by attacking the metabolic processes of the parasite, fluid replacement to keep the body hydrated to function properly, and anti-retroviral therapies to reduce the viral load in the body and strengthen the immune response of the individual.