THERAPY FOR ENTERIC PROTOZOA

Enteric protozoa are common, identifiable, and often treatable causes of enteric disease in children and adults worldwide. In the last decade, use of newer diagnostic methods and the rapid growth of the population of immunocompromised patients has led to an expanded list of potential protozoan pathogens. Prominent among these pathogens are Cryptosporidium and Microsporidium organisms, both of which are associated with chronic diarrheal disease in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and for which effective therapy is not yet available. The challenge for the next decade is to establish reliable and accessible diagnostic techniques for identifying new enteric protozoan infections and to establish safe and effective therapeutic regimens.