How is Cryptosporidium treated in children?
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How is Cryptosporidium treated in children?
Only one drug, nitazoxanide (Alinia; Romark Laboratories, Tampa, Florida, United States), is currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of Cryptosporidium infection. It is approved for use in children one year old or older [35].
Is Cryptosporidium contagious from person to person?
Cryptosporidiosis can be very contagious. The infected person can infect others when symptoms begin and for several weeks after the symptoms disappear. Infected persons who do not have symptoms can still infect others.
Can kids get Cryptosporidium?
Crypto is easily spread among young children who don’t know how to properly use the toilet or wash hands yet, and their caregivers (those who change diapers and help with toileting). Good hygiene practices can help prevent cryptosporidiosis outbreaks.
What are the long term effects of Cryptosporidium?
Long-term abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, joint pain, headache and eye pain were also between 2–3 times more likely following a Cryptosporidium infection.
What antibiotic treats Cryptosporidium?
Currently, nitazoxanide is the only proven anti-parasitic treatment for Cryptosporidium infections. However, it is not effective in severely immunocompromised patients and there is limited data in infants. Immune reconstitution or decreased immunosuppression is critical to therapy in AIDS and transplant patients.
How long does it take to recover from Cryptosporidium?
Symptoms usually last about 1 to 2 weeks (with a range of a few days to 4 or more weeks) in persons with healthy immune systems. Occasionally, people may experience a recurrence of symptoms after a brief period of recovery before the illness ends. Symptoms can come and go for up to 30 days.
Can cryptosporidiosis be cured?
For those persons with HIV/AIDS, anti-retroviral therapy that improves the immune status will also decrease or eliminate symptoms of cryptosporidiosis. However, even if symptoms disappear, cryptosporidiosis is often not curable and the symptoms may return if the immune status worsens.
