Parasitic infections of the gastrointestinal tract

Abstract

The problem of Cryptosporidium infection as a public health threat is being increasingly recognized. Cyclospora cayentensis is a newly recognized protozoal parasite that causes prolonged watery diarrhea. An increased effort should be made to diagnose infections with these two organisms to facilitate earlier detection of outbreaks of infection within the community, and because an effective treatment for Cyclospora infections is available. The role of microscopy in diagnosing protozoan infections has been questioned, particularly in light of recent evidence that pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica and nonpathogenic Entamoeba dispar organisms are morphologically indistinguishable. One potentially promising area is the adaptation of vaccine strategies for inducing mucosal immune responses to the delivery of recombinant schistosome and amebic antigens.