Cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium spp.)
1998 Case Definition
Cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium spp.)
1998 Case Definition
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1998 Case Definition
Clinical Description
An illness caused by the protozoan Cryptosporidium parvum and characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, nausea, and vomiting. Infected persons may be asymptomatic. The disease can be prolonged and life-threatening in severely immunocompromised persons.
Laboratory Criteria For Diagnosis
Laboratory-confirmed cryptosporidiosis shall be defined as the detection—in symptomatic or asymptomatic persons—of Cryptosporidium
- Oocysts in stool by microscopic examination, OR
- In intestinal fluid or small-bowel biopsy specimens, OR
- Oocyst or sporozoite antigens by immunodiagnostic methods, e.g., enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), OR
- By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques when routinely available, OR
- Demonstration of reproductive stages in tissue preparations.
Case Classification
Confirmed
Confirmed, symptomatic: a laboratory-confirmed case associated with one of the symptoms described above
Confirmed, asymptomatic: a laboratory-confirmed case associated with none of the above symptoms
Related Case Definition(s)
Last Reviewed: April 16, 2021