Process for reducing the extent of cryptosporidium diarrhoeas

#The present invention relates to the use of yeast of the genus Saccharomyces for controlling cryptosporidiosis.

#Cryptosporidiosis is a parasitic and contagious disease due to a protozoan Cryptosporidium. It affects numerous animals including man and the majority of domestic mammals (calves are often affected). It is observed worldwide, in adults and in children: in western countries 0.6 to 4.3% of children visiting a doctor for gastroenteritis are Cryptosporidium carriers. This rate varies from 3 to 30% in the Third World and rises to 63% during diarrhoea epidemics in children staying in nurseries (Plorde J. J. Cryptosporidiose. In Principles of Internal Medicine, HARRISON ed. 1991, 12th edition, McGraw-Hill).

#The usual form of this disease is Cryptosporidium diarrhoea which manifests itself in man in two different forms depending on the breeding ground:

#Consequently, the present invention relates to a process for reducing the extent of Cyrptosporidium diarrhoeas, by administering to a patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of yeasts of the Saccharomyces boulardii species.

#Preferably, the yeasts used are yeasts kept alive by freeze-drying. They can be administered especially in a daily dose of 0.5 to 10 g (based on their weight in the freeze-dried form). More especially, the yeasts used according to the invention belong to the species Saccharomyces boulardii.

#The yeasts can be administered orally, in unit doses ranging from 0.050 to 3.0 g, for example in the form of gelatin capsules containing about 0.250 g or sachets containing 0.050 to 3.0 g of yeasts.