Cryptosporidiosis history and symptoms

The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis are seen 2-10 days after infection. The common manifestations include watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever.

Symptoms of cryptosporidiosis generally begin 2 to 10 days (average 7 days) after becoming infected with the parasite. The most common symptom of cryptosporidiosis is watery diarrhea. Symptoms of cryptosporidium infection include:^[1]

• Acute or subacute onset of watery diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominal pain
• Dehydration
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss
• In patients with immunocompromised state can have severe diarrhea affecting the epithelium of the biliary tract and the pancreatic duct causing malabsorption. Initially the patients present with steatorrhea and in patients with chronic diarrhea they develop symptoms of fat soluble vitamin deficiency.

• Symptoms of cryptosporidiosis usually last about 1 to 2 weeks (with a range of a few days to 4 or more weeks) in persons with healthy immune systems. Occasionally, people may experience a recurrence of symptoms after a brief period of recovery before the illness ends. Symptoms can come and go for up to 30 days.

• While the small intestine is the site most commonly affected, Cryptosporidium infections could possibly affect other areas of the digestive tract or the respiratory tract.

• People with weakened immune systems may develop serious, chronic, and sometimes fatal illness. Examples of people with weakened immune systems include:
  • People with AIDS;
  • Those with inherited diseases that affect the immune system; and
  • Cancer and transplant patients who are taking certain immunosuppressive drugs.

• The risk of developing severe disease may differ depending on each person’s degree of immune suppression.

The most common symptoms of cryptosporidiosis in children include:^[1]

• Acute diarrhea
• Persistant diarrhea

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