Food and drinks contaminated with Entameba histolytica cyst and direct fecal oral contact are the most common means of infection. Most infected individuals are asymptomatic. The most common clinical manifestations of amebiasis are due to focal invasion of the intestinal epithelium and dissemination to the liver. Diarrhea is frequently associated with tenusmus, stools are blood stained and contain a fair amount of mucus with a few leukocytes. Occasionally amebic dysentery is associated with sudden onset of fever, chills and severe diarrhea. Hepatic amebiasis is a very serious manifestation of disseminated infection.

Diagnosis is based on detecting the organism in stool samples or tissue biopsy samples or rarely in aspirates of liver abscess.

Treatment

Metronidazole, 15 mg/kg three times a day for 10 days.
(For S/E, C/I, D/I and Dosage forms, see page 1)