Molecular confirmation of Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora species in children with acute diarrhoea in Quindio region, Colombia

There are no reports with molecular confirmation of Cryptosporidium spp. and Cyclospora spp. in children consulting the emergency service due to diarrhoea in Colombia. A descriptive study was performed on 137 children who visited the Hospital San Juan de Dios Emergency Service in Armenia between April 1 and 31, 2022. Questionnaires and sampling were performed to identify parasites in the faecal samples. Fresh preparations were prepared with 1% iodine, and a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain was used to identify pathogenic intestinal protozoa (Cryptosporidium spp. and Cyclospora spp.). PCR and sequencing of positive samples were performed to confirm infection. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in children was 19,7%, and that of Cyclospora spp. was 10,9%. 59,2% of the children with cryptosporidiosis and 66,6% of the children with cyclosporiasis were hospitalized. PCR for Cryptosporidium spp. was positive in six of 28 (21%) samples and for Cyclospora in 11 of 15 (73%) samples. Cyclospora spp. SSU rRNA DNA sequences clustered 10 samples nearest to lineage A, two with lineage B, and one with lineage C. Cryptosporidiosis and cyclosporiasis are common in children with acute diarrhoea when consulting emergency services, and their search should be performed systematically.