The detection of Cryptosporidium sp. with Ziehl-Neelsen and ELISA method in HIV/AIDS patients

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. It is one of the significant causes of diarrhea in HIV-positive patients. This study aimed to find out the Cryptosporidium sp. infection in HIV/AIDS patients with a cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4)≤350 cells/μL in Dr. M. Djamil Padang Central Public Hospital. This study was descriptive observational research with a Cross-Sectional design conducted by taking the feces of the patients as the sample. There were 44 total samples with four dropout samples because they were included in the exclusion criteria. Sample collection was conducted from July 2018 until August 2019. These research samples were part of the population that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria in the VCT Policlinic of Dr. M. Djamil Padang Central Public Hospital. Two of the 40 respondents of this study were found positive for Cryptosporidium sp. Oocyst in their feces by microscopic examination by the Ziehl-Neelsen method. From the anamnesis using questionnaires, these two respondents with positive results did not have diarrhea (asymptomatic). The result shows that out of 40 samples examined, 100% were negative for Cryptosporidium sp. by ELISA examination. The conclusion of this research was positive results by microscopic but negative by ELISA.