Question

What is the etiological agent of amebiasis? How is it transmitted and what are the typical manifestations of the disease?

Answer 1

Amebiasis, a typical parasitic disease is a cause of death worldwide. The causitive agent of the disease is Entamoeba histolytica. This parasite has two stages namely an infective cyst stage and a pathogenic, motile trophozoite stage.

Amebiasis is usually transmitted via fecal-oral route but it may also be transmitted indirectly through dirty hands or by anal-oral contact. The infection is spread through the ingestion of the cyst. Since it is also transmitted through contaminated food and water it is often endemic in regions lacking modern sanitation system.

In most of the cases, around 90%, the infected people are asymptomatic. But this disease can make the person dangerously ill. The symptoms may include mild diarrhea to severe dysentery with blood and mucus. The person also undergoes severe abdominal pain.