Cryptosporidiosis in HIV-infected Venezuelan adults is strongly associated with acute or chronic diarrhea.

A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis and its clinical and laboratory pattern in Venezuelan HIV-infected patients (N 397). At enrollment, they underwent thorough clinical history and physical examination and provided stool specimens for the identification of Cryptosporidium sp. and other parasites. Cryptosporidium sp. was identified in 59 subjects (15%). This infection was strongly associated with acute and chronic diarrhea, weight loss, CD4 + counts below 100 cells/mm 3 , older age in patients with leukopenia, and more than 5 stools per day when CD4 + counts were below 100 cells/mm 3 . In addition, patients with Cryptosporidium infection were less likely to be coinfected with Isospora belli (OR 0.05, P 0.001). In fact, results of the current study confirm the worldwide importance of cryptosporidiosis as a clinically significant opportunistic infection associated with an advanced stage of immunosuppression.