Entamoeba histolytica
Friends of my friends
Entamoeba histolytica is a small, single-celled parasite often referred to as an amoeba1 or protist2. It is a germ of faecal-oral transmission3, particularly common in tropical countries.
The disease is manifested in an abdominal pain (colic) with diarrhea. About 10% of the world’s population is believed to be infected with amoebae of the genus Entamoeba, the most dangerous of which is Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan4 that causes amebiasis.
Amebiasis
The disease is asymptomatic in about 50% of those infected. In others, it usually manifests as chronic diarrhea or an amoebic abscess. Amoebic abscesses5 most often occur in the liver, but may also be found more rarely in other organs (eg the lung or brain).