A family outbreak of cryptosporidiosis: probable nosocomial infection and person-to-person transmission (original) (raw)

Zusammenfassung

Cryptosporidium ist eine wichtige Ursache der ambulanten Gastroenteritits, meistens in Verbindung mit dem Trinken von kontaminierten Wasser, Schwimmen in Schwimmbädern oder Kontakt mit Tieren. Bei immunkompetenten Patienten ist die Cryptosporidiose üblicherweise selbst limitiert – bei immunkompromittierten Patienten kann sie aber eine verheerende Erkrankung sein. Unser Beitrag beschreibt den Ausbruch einer Cryptosporidiose innerhalb einer Familie: Ein Patient erlitt – wahrscheinlich auf nosokomialen Wege – einen Infekt mit Cryptosporidium. In der Folge erkrankten alle Familienmitglieder an diesem Parasiten. Der Indexpatient war ein 72-jähriger Mann mit Hemiparese nach seinem dritten Schlaganfall – er starb 28 Tage nach Beginn einer persistenten Diarrhoe. Diese Fallbeschreibung zeigt, dass Kontrollmaßnahmen vorgenommen werden müssen, um einer nosokomialen Übertragung der Oocysten des Cryptosporidiums vorzubeugen.

Summary

Cryptosporidium is an important cause of community gastroenteritis, usually associated with drinking contaminated water, visits to swimming pools or animal exposure. In immunocompetent patients, cryptosporidiosis is usually a self-limiting disease but it can be devastating illness in immunocompromised persons. This report presents a family outbreak of cryptosporidiosis and describes a probable nosocomial infection with Cryptosporidium in one patient and subsequent spread of the parasite among members of his family. The index patient, a 72-year-old man with hemiparesis after his third stroke, died after 28 days of persistent diarrhea. Control measures must be undertaken to prevent nosocomial transmission of cryptosporidial oocysts.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Infectious Diseases, General Hospital "Dr. Josip Bencevic", Slavonski Brod, Croatia
   Nenad Pandak
2. Department of Microbiology, County Institute of Public Health, Slavonski Brod, Croatia
   Kristof Zeljka
3. Department of Epidemiology, County Institute of Public Health, Slavonski Brod, Croatia
   Ante Cvitkovic

Authors

1. Nenad Pandak
2. Kristof Zeljka
3. Ante Cvitkovic

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Correspondence toNenad Pandak.

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Pandak, N., Zeljka, K. & Cvitkovic, A. A family outbreak of cryptosporidiosis: probable nosocomial infection and person-to-person transmission.Wien Klin Wochenschr 118, 485–487 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-006-0637-7

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• Received: 09 February 2006
• Accepted: 23 May 2006
• Issue date: August 2006
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-006-0637-7

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