Abstract
Cryptosporidium
is a coccidian protozoan parasite of the intestinal tract that causes severe and sometimes fatal watery diarrhea in immunocompromised patients, and self-limiting but prolonged diarrheal disease in immunocompetent individuals. It exists naturally in animals and can be zoonotic. Although cryptosporidiosis is a significant cause of diarrheal diseases in both developing and developed countries, it is more prevalent in developing countries and in tropical environments. We examined the epidemiology and disease burden of
Cryptosporidium
in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries by reviewing 23 published studies of
Cryptosporidium
and the etiology of diarrhea between 1986 and 2006. The prevalence of
Cryptosporidium
infection in humans ranged from 1% to 37% with a median of 4%, while in animals it was different for different species of animals and geographic locations of the studies. Most cases of cryptosporidiosis occurred among children less than 7 years of age, and particularly in the first two years of life. The seasonality of
Cryptosporidium
varied depending on the geographic locations of the studies, but it was generally most prevalent in the rainy season. The most commonly identified species was
Cryptosporidium parvum
while
C. hominis
was detected in only one study from Kuwait. The cumulative experience from Saudi Arabia and four neighboring countries (Kuwait, Oman, Jordan and Iraq) suggest that
Cryptosporidium
is an important cause of diarrhea in humans and cattle. However, the findings of this review also demonstrate the limitations of the available data regarding
Cryptosporidium
species and strains in circulation in these countries.