Amebiasis

Amebiasis - Treatment of Amebiasis

What is Amebiasis?

Causes of Amebiasis

The encrysted form of Entamoeba histolytica is swallowed in the contaminated food or water. Within the large intestine, the cysts develop into motile trophozooites (active forms) that burrow into the walls of the large intestine and cause ulcers. These trophozooites can burrow ithrough the intestinal walls into the blood vessels and spread to other parts of the body like liver.

Symptoms of Amebiasis

People exposed to this parasite may experience mild or severe symptoms or no symptoms at all. Fortunately, most exposed people do not become seriously ill. The mild form of amebiasis includes nausea, loose stools, weight loss, abdominal tenderness and occasional fever. Rarely, the parasite will invade the body beyond the intestines and cause a more serious infection, such as a liver abscess.

Diagnosis of Amebiasis

• Medical history, physical examination, lab tests, and stool studies
• Blood tests for revealing antibodies to the organism
• Sigmoidoscopy to evaluate the intestinal wall
• Radiological studies including ultrasound and CT (computed tomography) scans to detect liver abscesses

Treatment of Amebiasis

Oral antiparasitic medication is the standard treatment for amebiasis. The choice of drug depends on the severity of the infection.

When nausea or vomiting are present, intravenous therapy may be necessary until medications can be tolerated by mouth. Antidiarrheal medications are usually not prescribed and can make the condition worse.

After treatment, the stool should be rechecked to ensure that the infection has been cleared.

Prevention of Amebiasis

• Drinking only water that has been bottled in sanitary conditions or boiled (water-purifying tablets are ineffective against amebic cysts)
• Eating only cooked or peeled vegetables or fruits
• Protecting food from fly contamination
• Washing hands after defecation and before preparing or eating food.