In humans, cryptosporidiosis presents as -

Cryptosporidium has assumed great impoance as a frequent cause of intractable diarrhoea in AIDS patients. It can lead to acute self-limited diarrhoea in previously healthy persons and chronic life-threatening diarrhoea in immunocompromised subjects.Infection is acquired by ingesting the oocyst in contaminated food or drink.Infection in previously healthy persons may be asymptomatic or cause a sef-limited febrile illness with watery diarrhoea. It can also cause childhood and traveller's diarrhoea, as well as water-borne outbreaks. But in the HIV infected and other immunodeficient persons, infection leads to severe protracted diarrhoea, fever and emaciation. In AIDS, the parasite may invade the bronchial and biliary tracts and can be demonstrated in sputum TEXTBOOK OF MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY,CKJ PANIKER,6TH EDITION,PAGE NO 105