Mohamed EL-Malky
Umm AL-Qura University, Saudi Arabia
Title: Genotyping of Cryptosporidium species isolated from diarrheic children in Makah, Saudi Arabia
Biography
Biography: Mohamed EL-Malky
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is increasingly identified as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Studies in high-income countries and low-resource settings have recognized the importance of cryptosporidium as a cause of diarrhea. The objectives of the current study were to determine the detection rate and the molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium in diarrheic children in Makah Region. A total of 1380 fecal samples were collected from children up to 14 years attending 3 of the major hospitals of Makah between March 2015 and January 2016. Collected stool samples were subjected to direct microscopic examination, staining of direct thin smears and crypto antigen detection using ImmunoCard STAT, Cryptosporidium/Giardia rapid test. A part of each positive stool sample was kept frozen at -20º C. Initial screening by staining and immunochromatographic detection kit revealed 22 possible positive cases. PCR was performed for positive cases by amplification of a portion of the sequence encoding the small (18S) subunit of rRNA producing a 435-bp product. Cryptosporidium genotyping was performed by RFLP analysis of PCR products. The genotyping distribution was 18 cases showing C. hominis genotype, four showing C. parvum genotype. The data showed a higher prevalence of C. hominis (81.8%), the commonest anthroponotic species, suggesting a human–human transmission. Further investigations are required to determine the subgenotypes of C. parvum to clarify the mode of transmission in order to improve the control measures. The fact that only human genotypes were detected suggests that cryptosporidiosis must be considered as a non zoonotic disease in Makah region.