Abstract 971 Poster Session IV, Tuesday, 5/4 (poster 122)

Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) is an intestinal parasite that is increasingly recognized as a cause of major outbreaks of enteritis in the United States associated with contamination of water supplies. More than 100,000 people live in colonias along the Texas-Mexico border, with substandard water supply and sanitation. Little is known about the epidemiology of C. parvum in children living along the Texas-Mexico border. In a cross-sectional seroprevalence study of C. parvum, we enrolled 285 children (age 6 months - 13 years) living in three different geographic regions of varying socioeconomic levels in South Texas: colonias (N=105), urban border communities (N=65), and a large metropolitan area (San Antonio, N=115). A questionnaire was completed and anti-cryptosporidial antibodies (IgG and IgA) were measured using an immunofluorescence assay. Children living in colonias and urban border communities had a higher prevalence of antibodies against C. parvum (89% and 82%, respectively) compared to children living in San Antonio (46%). An age-related increase in antibody prevalence was observed at all three sites. Within colonias, independent risk factors for C. parvum infection included consumption of well/spring water (vs. bottled or municipal water), older age, and lower household income. (Table)

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These results indicate that infection with C. parvum varies by geographic location, source of water supply, age, and socioeconomic status.

Funded in part by the South Texas Health Research Center.