Project Details

Development of an effective treatment of Cryptosporidiosis in Bangladeshi Children

Zannatun Noor, PhD

Summary

BACKGROUND: One of the most common problems encountered in pediatric practice is diarrhea and Cryptosporidiosis is one of the major causes of diarrhea in children in low and middle income countries. GAP: Currently, there is no approved vaccine against Cryptosporidium and the only approved drug for the treatment of diarrhea caused by this enteropathogen is nitazoxanide (NTZ). The lack of effective therapy for cryptosporidiosis remains an immense knowledge gap in the efforts to improve childhood health worldwide. HYPOTHESIS: Our hypothesis is that NTZ treatment failure in malnourished infants is due to a secondary immune deficiency that can be reversed by the appropriate therapeutic treatment. Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 can have a potential immune modulating effect by altering gut microbiome promoting NTZ action. METHODS: This will be a prospectively conducted randomized pilot study with 2 arms in children in the Mirpur (Dhaka, Bangladesh) slum area, where cryptosporidium infected children will receive Nitazoxanide treatment with or without the probiotic, Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938. RESULTS: Pending IMPACT: The significance of the work lies in the ability of the study to provide new approaches to treat and prevent Cryptosporidiosis. The goal of this work is to assess the efficacy of NTZ drug in a low socioeconomic Bangladeshi population and establish new supportive therapeutic measures to the already established treatment with NTZ against in cryptosporidiosis.