Abstract
To determine molecular prevalence of Cryptosporidium in a cohort of Egyptian children and compare three diagnostic tests.
Stool samples from children with diarrhea (n=150) and from apparently healthy children (n=100) were examined for Cryptosporidium using microscopy, enzyme linked immuosorbant assay (ELISA) and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR).
nPCR detected Cryptosporidium in 22.4% of children. Acid-fast stain and ELISA showed false negativity but 100% specificity with nPCR as gold standard.
Cryptosporidium is a common cause of diarrhea in children in Egypt.