Pages Below:

Entamoeba histolytica


  • Lytic effects on tissues
  • Other species of amoeba are commensals only

Amoebiasis

  • 50 million cases / year
  • Important cause of mortality in tropical countries
  • World-wide distribution
  • Faecal-oral route or STD
  • Commonest in areas of poor sanitation
  • Cysts
    • excreted for long periods by aymptomatic carriers
    • may survive for weeks

Clinical features

  • Intestinal, non-invasive form
    • diarrhoea
  • Invasive intestinal
    • Ulceration
    • Colitis
      • Bloody diarrhoea
      • Abdo pain
    • Amoeboma
  • Extra-intestinal
    • Liver abscess
      • ?peritonitis
      • ?empyema
    • lung abscess
    • brain abscess

Diagnosis

  • Hot stool for amoeba
  • Formol-ether concentration of stool for cysts
  • Serology

Treatment

Prevention

  • Boil water
  • Cook vegetables
  • Safe sex