Molecular Identification of Cryptosporidiosis in Diabetes and Cancer patients

Cryptosporidium spp., a primary intestinal parasite and obligate intracellular parasite, infects a wide range of vertebrates, including human. The current study aimed to determine the infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp. among immunocompromised patients attending the Diabetes and Endocrinology Centre and Oncology Department at Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospitals in Al-Diwaniya Providence, Iraq. The research period extended from the first of October 2023 until the end of February 2024. Eighty-seven stool samples were obtained from immunocompromised patients of various ages and both genders who attended the hospital. Stool samples were examined using the nested PCR technique. The results showed an overall infection rate of 22.98%. Researchers found that the infection rate was 20.83% among diabetic patients and 25.64% among cancer patients. Male patients had a recorded infection rate of 23.07%, whereas females recorded 22.85%. A high infection rate (60%) was observed among patients under the age of 15 and among those coming from rural areas, reaching 34.88%. Additionally, it was found that 42.42% of the infected individuals had contact with animals.