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Open Access 01-11-2007 | Infectious Diseases

Case-control study of environmental and social factors influencing cryptosporidiosis

Authors: Iain R. Lake, Florence C. D. Harrison, Rachel M. Chalmers, Graham Bentham, Gordon Nichols, Paul R. Hunter, R. Sari Kovats, Chris Grundy

Published in: European Journal of Epidemiology | Issue 11/2007

Abstract

We report on the first case-control study to investigate the role of wider environmental and socioeconomic factors upon human cryptosporidiosis. Using GIS the detailed locations of 3368 laboratory-confirmed cases were compared to the locations of an equal number of controls. All cases were genotyped enabling Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum to be examined separately. When all cryptosporidiosis cases were analyzed, several location variables were strongly associated with illness: areas with many higher socioeconomic status individuals, many individuals aged less than 4 years, areas with a high estimate of Cryptosporidium applied to land from manure, and areas with poorer water treatment. For C. hominis cases, the strongly significant risk factors were areas with many higher socioeconomic status individuals, areas with many young children and urban areas. Socioeconomic status and areas with many individuals aged less then 4 years had a greater impact for infection with C. hominis than for C. parvum. Policy implications are discussed.

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Title: Case-control study of environmental and social factors influencing cryptosporidiosis
Authors: Iain R. Lake
Florence C. D. Harrison
Rachel M. Chalmers
Graham Bentham
Gordon Nichols
Paul R. Hunter
R. Sari Kovats
Chris Grundy
Publication date: 01-11-2007
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: European Journal of Epidemiology / Issue 11/2007
Print ISSN: 0393-2990
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7284
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-007-9179-1

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Case-control study of environmental and social factors influencing cryptosporidiosis

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