Differences in the occurrence and epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Western Australia (2002 − 2012)

Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrhoeal illness caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium. In Australia, very little is known about the epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis in Aboriginal peoples. The present study analysed long-term cryptosporidiosis patterns across Western Australia (WA) (2001 − 2012), combined with genotyping and subtyping data at the 18S and glycoprotein 60 (gp60) loci respectively. Comparison of cryptosporidiosis notifications between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in WA, revealed that notification rates among Aboriginal people were up to 50 times higher compared to non-Aboriginal people, highlighting the burden of the disease in this population. More than 90% of notifications were in Aboriginal children aged 00-04 years, who had a notification rate 20.5 times higher than non-Aboriginal children in the same age group. Cryptosporidium hominis was the predominant species infecting both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. However, Aboriginal people were mainly infected with the C. hominis IdA15G1 subtype, whereas non-Aboriginal people were predominantly infected with the IbA10G2 subtype. To control cryptosporidiosis in Aboriginal populations in Australia, effective health interventions/promotions need to be a priority for public health research and action.