Clinical Presentation

Signs and Symptoms:

Cryptosporidiosis may have a wide range of symptoms; the most common is watery diarrhea that can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. However, there are many other possible symptoms including:

  • Dehydration
  • Weight loss
  • Stomach cramps or pain
  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Coughing
  • Low-grade fever
  3

Although this may be the norm, there are still many patients with Cryptosporidiosis that are asymptomatic. Also, it is possible the an infection caused by Cryptosporidium may affect respiratory, tracheal, and intestinal tracks.4

It is important to note that AIDS patients are more susceptible to severe complications that may lead to death. This is especially true if your CD4 cell count, a test to determine the strength of one's immune system, is below 200. In this case, Cryptosporidiosis will develop extremely watery diarrhea that may lead to fatal dehydration.5