Cryptosporidium parvum and its association to risk of malnutrition in school children of Northwest Mexico: A brief report

High prevalence of malnutrition and cryptosporidiosis has been found in Mexican children, although Mexican studies on cryptosporidiosis are limited. The objective was to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum and to establish its association with the nutritional status in school children of Northwestern Mexico. A total of 321 school children of 6 to 13 years old participated in the study. Weight-for-age, height-for-age, and body mass index for age (BMI/A) Z scores were calculated. Enzyme linked immuno-absorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect fecal antigens of C. parvum. The overall prevalence of C. parvum was 39.3%. C. parvum-infected children were more likely to be at risk of malnutrition than C. parvum-free children. Cryptosporidiosis may be a risk factor for children malnutrition in Northwestern Mexico.