Cryptosporidium and Isospora belli Infections

Note from Dr. Merle A. Sande - Diarrhea is one of the most common and most exasperating conditions complicating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Two relatively newly recognized protozoa, Cryptosporidium sp, and Isospora belli, have emerged as common pathogens in HIV-infected patients; to date, cryptosporidial infections have been especially resistant to treatment. Drs. Rosemary Soave and Warren D. Johnson have both made significant contributions to our understanding of infections caused by these pathogens. In this AIDS Commentary they approach the diseases from the clinician's perspective by describing clinical presentations, differential diagnoses, diagnostic tests, and what, if anything, can be done to treat them.