1887
Volume 2025, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 0253-8253
  • EISSN: 2227-0426

Abstract

is a common pathogenic parasite known to cause diarrhea in humans and animals, particularly in young children living in poor conditions. Although diarrheal disease is usually mild in immunocompetent individuals, it may progress into a life-threatening complication among the immunocompromised. Due to insensitive conventional diagnostic methods, the identification of can be inaccurate and challenging. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis infection in Qatar by comparing four different diagnostic methods for detecting in human stool samples.

From January 2018 to December 2019, stool samples from patients with various gastrointestinal symptoms were collected at the microbiology laboratory at Hamad General Hospital in Qatar for parasitic detection. The stool samples were tested using four diagnostic methods: routine microscopy, immunochromatography (ICT), multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and modified Kinyoun’s acid-fast stain (MKS).

In the evaluation of the four different detection methods, 36 (18%) out of 205 stool samples tested positive for , with detection rates of 18%, 15%, 7%, and 6% using PCR, ICT, MKS, and routine microscopy, respectively.

The superior sensitivity of PCR and ICT supports their integration into routine diagnostics to improve the detection and public health surveillance of cryptosporidiosis in Qatar.

© 2025 Sabooni, Salah, Singh, Al-Qadi, Taj-Aldeen, Ibrahim, licensee HBKU Press.
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Comparison of four diagnostic techniques for Cryptosporidium detection in Qatar
Qatar Medical Journal 2025, 78 (2025); https://doi.org/10.5339/qmj.2025.78
/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2025.78
/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2025.78
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): Cryptosporidium, immunochromatography, modified Kinyoun’s acid-fast stain, polymerase chain reaction and stool microscopy

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