Epidemiology of Cryptosporidiosis and Giardiasis: What Pediatricians Need to Know

Abstract

Diarrheal illness in the USA is a significant contributor to adverse morbidity in children and has a major impact economically, including the utilization of healthcare resources. Viral and bacterial pathogens account for the majority of cases that have an infectious cause; however, intestinal protozoan parasites are important but often under-recognized etiologic agents for infectious diarrhea. Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia lamblia are the most common intestinal protozoal infections in both resource-limited and resource-abundant countries and predominately affect children, usually those between ages 1–9 years and most often in children less than 4 years of age. Both Cryptosporidium and Gia..