Cryptosporidium is one of major causes of diarrhea in Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
positive patients. Due to increasing problems of inadequate and unreliable medical treatments
for Cryptosporidium enteritis among HIV patients, alternative therapies were being studied. garlic
has widely been used to treat intestinal parasites. The treatment with garlic evoked a significant
reduction in the worm load. The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of traditional
medical plant (garlic) as compared to Nitazoxanide in the treatment of cryptosporidiosis
among HIV infected patients.
Subjects and methods: Stool samples were collected from (150 HIV) positive patients and examined
microscopically using Formalin ethyl acetate and Modified Ziehl Neelsen (MZN) stain.
Also, Cryptosporidium coproantigen was detected using Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) technique. All positive cases were divided into 2 groups, the first group was treated
with NTZ 500 mg, twice daily for 6 days and the second group was treated by garlic 300 mg
twice daily for the same period. Stool samples were collected one week after treatment and were
examined using MZN and ELISA technique.
The results showed that Cryptosporidium infection was 15.3% by using MZN &10.7% by using
ELISA (total positive cases were 26), without significant difference between cryptosporidiosis
and demographic factors (age, sex, residence). By comparing treatment of Cryptosporidium
infection, the cure rate was 100% by garlic compared to 58.3% by NTZ. All cases cured by garlic
whether CD4 T cell count was above or below 350 , but one case with CD4 T cells
was not cured by NTZ.