Entamoeba histolyca

Reporter :
Mona C. Paulino
Journalyn Capistrano
Leo Melecio
BSED III
 Entamoeba histolytica
An intestinal and tissue ameba and is the only
known pathogenic intestinal ameba.
 There are two forms:

-THE MOTILE TROPHOZOITE( PATHOGENIC STAGE).

 Trophozoite is found within the intestinal and extra-
intestinal lesions and in diarrheal stools.

-THE NON-MOTILE TROPHOZOITE( INFECTIVE

STAGE).
 Cysts are usually found in non-diarrheal, formed stools.
Epidemiology and Pathogens
Infection with Entamoeba histolytica is
found worldwide but is more common in
tropical countries
Especially in areas with poor sanitation
Water serves as the major source of
infection of parasite.
Sexual transmission
 Disease Amoebiasis
- Acute intestinal amoebiasis

• diarrhea (which may be bloody)

• stomach pains
• cramping (painful spasm of a muscle)
• nausea (vomit)
• loss of appetite
• fever
2. Extraintestinal amoebiasis
• can occur if the parasite spreads to other
organs, most commonly the liver where
it causes amoebic liver abscess.
• Amoebic liver abscess presents with
fever and right upper quadrant
abdominal pain.
3. Asymptomatic carrier state
occurs under the following conditions:
A. If the parasite involved is low-virulence
strain
B. If the parasite load is low
C. If the patient’s immune system is intact
The patient presents with no symptoms but
the parasite reproduces and passed out with
patient’s feces.
Laboratory Diagnosis
Diagnosis of intestinal amoebiasis is
confirmed by the finding of trophozoites
in diarrheic stools or cysts in formed
stools.
Trophozoites characteristically contain
ingested red blood cells
Serologic testing may be useful for the
diagnosis of invasive amoebiasis.
 Treatment
• The drug of choice for symptomatic intestinal
amoebiasis or hepatic abscess is metronidazole.
• The alternative drug tinidazole is both intestinal
and extraintestinal amoebiasis.
• Surgical

Prevention and Control

 Observance of good personal hygiene
Proper hand washing, especially for food handlers
Proper disposal
Adequate washing and cooking of vegetables should
be observed.
Subphylum Mastigophora:
Giardia lamblia(Giardia intestinalis)
Repoter:
Leo G. Melecio
BSED III
Important Properties and Life Cycle
Giardia lamblia - an intestinal protozoa that
was initially known as Cercomonas intestinalis
Giardia intestinalis has gained popularity
Another name used is Gardia duodenale
The parasite also exists in a cyst form and
a trophozoite form
The trophozoite has been describe as
resembling an old man with
whiskers(“old man facies”)
Epidemiology and Pathogenesis
Giardia lamblia
 - a worldwide distribution through
contaminated water sources.
The infection is also common among
individuals engaging in oral-anal contact.
High incidence has been seen in daycare
centers among patients in mental
hospitals.
Disease: Giardiasis
1. Asymptomatic carrier state
 Infection with the parasite is usually
completely asymptomatic.
 The infected individual unknowingly
passes out the parasite with the feces
which can then contaminate water.
2. Giardiasis (Traveler’s diarrhea)
 Infection is characterized by non-bloody,
foul-smelling diarrhea accompanied by
nausea, loss of appetite, flatulence, and
abdominal cramps.
 The symptoms may persist for weeks or
months.
 Malabsorption of fat may lead to the
presence of fat in the stool (steatorrhea)
 It is a self-limiting infection, lasting one
to two weeks. Relapses may occur,
especially in patients with IgA deficiency.
Laboratory Diagnosis
Diagnosis made by the demonstration of
the cyst or trophozoite(or both) in
diarrheic stools.
Only cysts are isolated from the stools of
asymptomatic carriers.
If microscopic examination of the stool is
negative, string test may be performed
which consists of making the patient
swallow a weighted piece of string until it
reaches the duodenum.
Treatment
As per recommendation of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in the
United States,
The primary choice of treatment for
G.lamblia infection are metronidazole,
tinidazole, and nitazoxanide.
Prevention and Control
The main preventive measure involves
avoidance of fecal contamination of water
supplies through proper waste disposal
Drinking water should be boiled, filtered,
or iodine-treated especially in endemic
areas
Improvement of personal hygiene such as
proper hand washing is also
recommended.
Phylum Ciliophora:
Balantidium coli
Reporter:
Journalyn A. Capistrano
Important Properties and Life Cycle
Balantidium coli
 Morphologically more complex than E.
histolytica.
 It has a primitive mouth called a cytostome
 The infective stage is the cyst and the
pathogenic stage is the trophozoite, which
invades the mucosal lining of the terminal
ileum, cecum, and colon
 It is the largest protozoan to infect humans .
Epidemiology and Pathogenesis
The parasite has a world wide distribution.
The most common and most important
reservoir is the pig.
The main source of infection is water
contaminated by pig feces and the mode of
transmission is through the fecal-oral route
Person-to-person transmission via food
handlers has been implicated in outbreaks.
Disease: Balantidiasis
Most infected individuals are asymptomatic
A dysenteric type of diarrhea resembling
amebic dysentery may occur in patients
with high parasite load
Acute infections may manifest with liquid
stools containing pus, blood, and mucus
Chronic infections may manifest with a
tender colon, anemia, wasting (cachexia),
and alternating diarrhea and constipation.
Extraintestinal infection is rare and may
involve the liver, lungs, mesenteric nodes,
and urogenital tract.

Laboratory Diagnosis
• Diagnosis is based on the finding of
trophozoites and cysts in the stool
specimen.
• Due to its large size, the parasites can be
readily detected in fresh, wet microscopic
preparations.
Treatment
The current recommended treatment of
patients with balantidiasis involves two
drugs
--- oxytetracyline
--- iodoquinol
Metronidazole may also be used as
alternative to treat infected patients.
Prevention and Control
Preventive measure are similar to those
for amoebiasis.
These include maintenance of sanitary
hygiene, proper disposal of pig feces, and
boiling of drinking water.