What specific unique etiologic factors exist for acute diarrheal illness in immunocompromised hosts?
- Immunoglobulin A deficiency, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, organ transplantation, rheumatologic disease on immune-suppressing agents, and chemotherapy all may predispose individuals to enteric infection.
- These hosts are susceptible to common causes of acute diarrhea but also to agents not commonly problematic for normal hosts: Mycobacteria, Cyclospora, Isospora , Cryptosporidium , cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes.
