Immunisation against meningococcus B: the case of Spain

摘要

Uma Natchu and Shinjini Bhatnagar (July 20, p 184)1 are right to be enthusiastic about the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS),2 but their comments about Cryptosporidium are misguided. They state that hitherto Cryptosporidium was thought to be restricted to immunocompromised hosts, but there has been evidence for more than 20 years that this is not the case. Several reports of waterborne epidemics attest to this—the largest affecting more than 400000 (mostly immunocompetent) people.3 Crypto-sporidiosis affects young children,4 and it is well known now to have adverse effects on nutritional outcomes.5 GEMS2 merely serves to underline the importance of cryptosporidiosis as a contributor to the global burden of diseases of children.