in immunosuppressed individuals the infection with Cryptosoridium parvum can spreed to extraintestinal, hepatoboliary, pancreatic and pulmonary regions of the body leading to chronic disease and wasting.
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Due to severe immunosuppression, enteric parasitic pathogens in general are emerging and are OIs capable of causing diarrhoeal disease associated with HIV. Of these, Cryptosporidium parvum and Isospora belli are the two most common intestinal protozoan parasites and pose a public health problem in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. These are the only two enteric protozoan parasites that remain in the case definition of AIDS till today.
Cryptosporidiosis, also known as crypto,[1] is a parasitic disease caused by Cryptosporidium, a genus of protozoan parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa. It affects the distal small intestine and can affect the respiratory tract in both immunocompetent (i.e., individuals with a normal functioning immune system) and immunocompromised (e.g., persons with HIV/AIDS or autoimmune disorders) individuals, resulting in watery diarrhea with or without an unexplained cough.[2] In immunocompromised individuals, the symptoms are particularly severe and can be fatal. It is primarily spread through the fecal-oral route, often through contaminated water;[2][3] recent evidence suggests that it can also be transmitted via fomites in respiratory secretions.[2]
Cryptosporidium is the organism most commonly isolated in HIV-positive patients presenting with diarrhea.[medical citation needed] Despite not being identified until 1976, it is one of the most common waterborne diseases and is found worldwide. The parasite is transmitted by environmentally hardy microbial cysts (oocysts) that, once ingested, sporozoites within oocysts excyst (i.e., are released) and result in an infection of intestinal epithelial tissue.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
"Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Both the parasite and the disease are commonly known as “Crypto.”
There are many species of Cryptosporidium that infect animals, some of which also infect humans. The parasite is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive outside the body for long periods of time and makes it very tolerant to chlorine disinfection.
While this parasite can be spread in several different ways, water (drinking water and recreational water) is the most common way to spread the parasite. Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of waterborne disease among humans in the United States."
Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/index.html
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