Abstract:
The diversity of Cryptosporidium at species, subtype family and subtype level in diarrhoeic
children was investigated in four provinces in South Africa. A total of 442 stool samples from
children <5 years of age were collected under a large rotavirus surveillance programme and
analysed by Ziehl–Neelsen acid-fast staining. Fifty-four (12.2%) were positive for
Cryptosporidium, of which 25 were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–
restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence analyses of the 18S
rRNA gene. The majority of genotyped specimens were identified as C. hominis (76%), and a
high genetic diversity was found with five different C. hominis subtype families (Ia, Ib, Id, Ie
and If). Cryptosporidium parvum was found in 20% of the isolates, and three subtype
families were identified (IIc, IIe and IIb), with subtype family IIc being the most common.
One specimen was identified as C. meleagridis of the subtype family IIId. These results are in
accordance with findings from other developing countries and report for the first time the
presence in South Africa of C. meleagridis, various subtypes of C. parvum and the subtype
family Ie of C. hominis. The results suggest that C. hominis and anthroponotic C. parvum
subtypes are the major cause of cryptosporidiosis in South Africa. Further molecular studies
are needed to better understand the epidemiology and public health importance of
Cryptosporidium in humans in South Africa.
