Natural History of Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium Infections in a Cohort of Israeli Bedouin Infants: A Study of a Population in Transition

Drora Fraser Department of Epidemiology, S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soroka University Medical Center, Rahat Primary Health Care Clinic, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Pediatrics and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Search for other papers by Drora Fraser in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Ron Dagan Department of Epidemiology, S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soroka University Medical Center, Rahat Primary Health Care Clinic, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Pediatrics and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Search for other papers by Ron Dagan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Lechaim Naggan Department of Epidemiology, S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soroka University Medical Center, Rahat Primary Health Care Clinic, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Pediatrics and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Search for other papers by Lechaim Naggan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Velvl Greene Department of Epidemiology, S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soroka University Medical Center, Rahat Primary Health Care Clinic, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Pediatrics and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Search for other papers by Velvl Greene in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Joseph El-On Department of Epidemiology, S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soroka University Medical Center, Rahat Primary Health Care Clinic, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Pediatrics and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Search for other papers by Joseph El-On in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Yunis Abu-Rbiah Department of Epidemiology, S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soroka University Medical Center, Rahat Primary Health Care Clinic, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Pediatrics and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Search for other papers by Yunis Abu-Rbiah in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Richard J. Deckelbaum Department of Epidemiology, S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soroka University Medical Center, Rahat Primary Health Care Clinic, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Pediatrics and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Search for other papers by Richard J. Deckelbaum in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

The natural history of Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium infections were determined in a cohort of 164 Bedouin children, from a population not previously studied, which is in transition from nomadism to a settled life style. Stools were sampled monthly from birth to two years of age and at all diarrhea episodes. The risk of infection with G. lamblia and Cryptosporidium infection by age two was 91.5% and 48.8%, respectively. Cryptosporidium prevalence was 3–4% at all ages, whereas G. lamblia prevalence was > 30% after age one. Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium asymptomatic detection rates were high, 28.5% and 1.6%, respectively. Detection of G. lamblia was higher in diarrhea episode samples obtained before six months of age, but after that age and overall, the detection was lower than in nondiarrhea samples (odds ratio [OR] = 0.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.7–0.9, P < 0.05). Detection rates of C. parvum were higher in episode-related samples in all age groups (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.9–4.2, P < 0.05) and infections in boys were more frequently symptomatic than in girls. While G. lamblia does not appear to be a consistent pathogen in this population where it is hyperendemic, Cryptosporidium has been shown to be an important cause of diarrhea in young children in the community.

Author Notes

Past two years Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 1657 1104 800
Full Text Views 29 3 0
PDF Downloads 31 6 0
 

 

 

 
 
Affiliate Membership Banner
 
 
Research for Health Information Banner
 
 
CLOCKSS
 
 
 
Society Publishers Coalition Banner
Save