Cryptosporidium parvum is an intracellular obligate protozoan parasite that lives in the intestine of their host. They can cause acute to severe diarrhea in humans mostly in children. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence and risk factors associated with Cryptosporidium parvum in the diarrheal stool of children admitted to Rivers State University Teaching Hospital. A cross sectional study was carried out on stool samples collected from 150 diarrheic children admitted in the children’s emergency ward and children‘s ward in Rivers State Teaching Hospital after obtaining parental consent. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Rivers State Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt. The diagnostic methods employed included the Modified Ziehl Neelsen staining technique and direct wet mount using normal saline and iodine. Well-structured questionnaires were used to obtain information on socio-demographics and risk factors. Data obtained were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The study revealed an overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum in children with diarrhea to be (8.0%) and this prevalence were found to hold significant statistical importance within the study. Gender and awareness, however, did not demonstrate any statistically significant correlation with cryptosporidiosis. On the other hand, among children under the age of 5 years, there was a markedly elevated prevalence, and this was established to be statistically significant. Furthermore, the study highlighted that certain risk factors, particularly personal hygiene and nutritional practices, exhibited a statistically significant association with cryptosporidiosis. The level of cryptosporidia oocysts in children were significantly high therefore, health campaigns should be carried out to educate parents and guardians on healthy practices to abduct in order to control the rate of cryptosporidiosis in children.
