由于医疗保健、诊断、报告和监测缺乏统一性,患病率估计差异很大。相关病例存在漏报少报现象。[20]Adak GK, Long SM, O'Brien SJ. Trends in indigenous foodborne disease and deaths, England and Wales: 1992 to 2000. Gut. 2002;51:832-841.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12427786?tool=bestpractice.com在美国,2003 年报告的病例数为 3505 例,2004 年为 3911 例,2005 年为 8269 例(年发病率为 1.2~2.8/10 万人)。[21]Yoder JS, Beach MJ. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cryptosporidiosis surveillance - United States, 2003-2005. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2007;56:1-10.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5607a1.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17805223?tool=bestpractice.com2009 年报告的确诊和疑似隐孢子虫病病例数为 7656 例,2010 年为 8951 例(2.9/10 万人)。[22]Yoder JS, Wallace RM, Collier SA, et al; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cryptosporidiosis surveillance - United States, 2009-2010. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2012;61:1-12.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6105a1.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22951493?tool=bestpractice.com下半年和北部州的病例报告数更多。性别差异不是特别明显。年龄分布呈双峰型:报告病例数最多的是 1~9 岁的儿童,其次是 30~39 岁的成人。种族数据不完整。2005 年报告病例数大幅上升的原因是纽约州一个水上休闲公园疫情暴发,发病率达到了 18.2/10 万人。[21]Yoder JS, Beach MJ. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cryptosporidiosis surveillance - United States, 2003-2005. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2007;56:1-10.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5607a1.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17805223?tool=bestpractice.com全球流行病学趋势因地理区域而异,并受到气候和社会经济地位的影响。隐孢子虫病始终与低龄相关。在非工业化国家,隐孢子虫是腹泻的主要病因,特别是 2 岁以下的幼儿,并且是引起多数发展中国家儿童中重度腹泻的四大胃肠道病原体之一。[23]Kotloff KL, Nataro JP, Blackwelder WC, et al. Burden and aetiology of diarrhoeal disease in infants and young children in developing countries (the Global Enteric Multicenter Study, GEMS): a prospective, case-control study. Lancet. 2013;382:209-222.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23680352?tool=bestpractice.com
微小隐孢子虫(动物源性)和人型隐孢子虫(人源性)是最常见的种类,许多亚型都会致病,其分配情况取决于获得性危险因素。常规诊断无法鉴别传染种类。[24]Hunter PR, Hughes S, Woodhouse S, et al. Sporadic cryptosporidiosis case-control study with genotyping. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004;10:1241-1249.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3323324/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15324544?tool=bestpractice.com[25]Chalmers RM, Elwin K, Thomas AL, et al. Long-term Cryptosporidium typing reveals the aetiology and species-specific epidemiology of human cryptosporidiosis in England and Wales, 2000 to 2003. Euro Surveill. 2009;14:19086.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19161717?tool=bestpractice.com