Prevalence of Cryptosporidium in children with enteritis in southern Italy.

Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan which causes self-limiting diarrhea in immunocompetent subjects, and severe life-threatening disease in immunocompromised patients. Cryptosporidiosis is more common in developing countries and in infants. In this paper we have evaluated the prevalence of C.

Varicella in immunocompetent children in the first two years of life: role of treatment with oral acyclovir. Italian Acyclovir-Chickenpox Study Group.

An open multicenter study has been carried out to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of oral acyclovir in the treatment of varicella in immunocompetent patients in the first two years of life. Fifty-three children aged 3-24 months received acyclovir at 80 mg/Kg/day in four divided doses for 4 to 6 days; 24 of them were treated in the first 24 hours following disease onset, while the remaining 29 patients were enrolled within 48 hours. The assessment of evolution of disease signs and symptoms showed a rapid resolution of fever, itching and other constitutional symptoms, with interruption of vesicle formation and acceleration of cutaneous healing processes.