Risk Factors for Cryptosporidiosis Among Children in a Semi Urban Slum in Southern India: A Nested Case-Control Study

Rajiv Sarkar Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Deepthi Kattula Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Mark R. Francis Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Sitara S. R. Ajjampur Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Ashok D. Prabakaran Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Nithya Jayavelu Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Jayaprakash Muliyil Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Vinohar Balraj Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Elena N. Naumova Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Honorine D. Ward Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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Gagandeep Kang Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts; Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

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The risk factors for acquisition of cryptosporidial infection in resource-poor settings are poorly understood. A nested case-control study was conducted to assess factors associated with childhood cryptosporidiosis (detected by stool polymerase chain reaction) in an endemic, Indian slum community using data from two community-based studies with 580 children followed prospectively until their second birthday. Factors were assessed for overall cryptosporidiosis (N = 406), and for multiple (N = 208), asymptomatic (N = 243), and symptomatic (N = 163) infections, respectively. Presence of older siblings (odds ratio [OR] = 1.88, P = 0.002) and stunting at 6 months of age (OR = 1.74, P = 0.019) were important risk factors for childhood cryptosporidiosis. Always boiling drinking water before consumption, the use of a toilet by all members of the family, and maternal age ≥ 23 years were protective. These results provide insights into acquisition of childhood cryptosporidiosis in settings with poor environmental sanitation, contaminated public water supply systems, and close human–animal contact. Disease control strategies will require a multifaceted approach.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Gagandeep Kang, Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore 632004, India. E-mail: gkang@cmcvellore.ac.in

Financial support: This work was supported by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grant Nos. R01 A1075452 to G.K. and R01 A1072222 to H.W.). R.S. and D.K. were supported by a Fogarty International Center training grant (grant No. D43 TW007392 to G.K.).

Authors' addresses: Rajiv Sarkar, Deepthi Kattula, Mark R. Francis, Sitara S. R. Ajjampur, Ashok D. Prabakaran, Nithya Jayavelu, and Gagandeep Kang, Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, E-mails: rsarkar@cmcvellore.ac.in, deepthikattula@cmcvellore.ac.in, elysium28@gmail.com, sitararao@cmcvellore.ac.in, ashokdani@gmail.com, nithya_jey@yahoo.co.in, and gkang@cmcvellore.ac.in. Jayaprakash Muliyil and Vinohar Balraj, Community Health Department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, E-mails: jpmuliyil@gmail.com and vinoharbalraj@gmail.com. Elena N. Naumova, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, MA, E-mail: elena.naumova@tufts.edu. Honorine D. Ward, Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, E-mail: hward@tuftsmedicalcenter.org.

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