Cryptosporidium species are increasingly recognized as important enteric pathogens that infect a broad range of hosts including human, domestic and wild animals worldwide, causing asymptomatic or mild-to-severe gastrointestinal disease in their host species.

There are 38 species of Cryptosporidium that have been described, going from amphibian parasites to mammals ones, with over 40 genotypes infecting mammals, although Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis are the two species predominantly reported in human infections. In Cairo and Sharkyia governorates in Egypt, Cryptosporidium is a common intestinal parasite among children, especially in diarrheic, preschool-aged children, with a predominance of C. hominis indicates anthroponotic rather than zoonotic transmission. Also in the sohag governorate, Cryptosporidium infection is a common intestinal parasite, as in the last five years its prevalence about 35% but there is no study clarify predominant genotype of Cryptosporidium in sohag.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age: any age
2. Sex: male -female
3. Residence: rural-urban
4. Animal contact.
5. Immune status: immunocompetent - immunocompromised
6. Clinical manifestations: diarrhea -abdominal pain- fever- vomiting.

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients taking treatment for cryptosporidiosis

Outpatients at Sohag University Hospital will be sampled.