Balantidiasis

Balantidiasis is caused by a large ciliated protozoan parasite, Balantidium coli. The patient most often acquires the cyst through ingestion of contaminated food or water. Following ingestion, excystation occurs in the small intestine, and the trophozoites colonise the large intestine and grow there.

Occurrence: Worldwide. Because pigs are an animal reservoir, human infections occur more frequently in areas where pigs are raised. Other potential animal reservoirs include rodents and nonhuman primates.

Manifestations: Most cases are asymptomatic. Clinical manifestations, when present, include:

persistent diarrhoea,
occasionally dysentery
abdominal pain weight loss

Diagnose and treatment: Diagnosis is based on detection of trophozoites in stool specimens or in tissue collected during endoscopy. Treatment is effective with antibiotics.

Vaccine: Not available

Prevent infection with ascarids by:

Avoid contacting soil that may be contaminated with human faeces.
Do not defecate outdoors.
Dispose of diapers properly.
Wash hands with soap and water before handling food.
When travelling to countries where sanitation and hygiene are poor, avoid water or food that may be contaminated.
Wash, peel or cook all raw vegetables and fruits before eating.

Balantidiasis Resource:

Acanthamoeba meningoencephalitis in an immunocompetent patient: an autopsy case report.

Neuropathology

In memoriam: Louis S. "Buddy" Diamond (1920-2009).

J Eukaryot Microbiol

Genotyping of Acanthamoeba isolates from corneal scrapings and contact lens cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis patients in Osaka, Japan.

Jpn J Infect Dis

[Morphological characteristics in corneal smear of acanthamoeba keratitis].

Zhonghua Yan Ke Za Zhi

The Jacob2 lectin of the Entamoeba histolytica cyst wall binds chitin and is polymorphic.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

Concurrent amoebic and Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess in an immunocompetent patient: an unusual case report and review of the literature.

J Dig Dis

Diagnostic exercise. Cerebral mass in a puppy with respiratory distress and progressive neurologic signs.

Vet Pathol

Binding to complement factors and activation of the alternative pathway by Acanthamoeba.

Immunobiology

Human amebiasis: breaking the paradigm?

Int J Environ Res Public Health

Acanthamoeba produces disseminated infection in locusts and traverses the locust blood-brain barrier to invade the central nervous system.

BMC Microbiol

Trends of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, estimated HIV incidence, and risky sexual behaviors among gay bathhouse attendees in Taiwan: 2004-2008.

AIDS Behav

Fatal disseminated Acanthamoeba infection in a liver transplant recipient immunocompromised by combination therapies for graft-versus-host disease.

Transpl Infect Dis

[The investigation of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax in a group of patients with periodontal disease].

Turkiye Parazitol Derg

Four cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis treated with phototherapeutic keratectomy.

Cornea

[Acanthamoeba sp. keratitis: first case confirmed by isolation and molecular typification in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina].

Rev Argent Microbiol

An unusual presentation of amebic liver abscesses.

CMAJ

Entamoeba histolytica liver abscess.

CMAJ

In vivo visualization of trophozoites in patients with amoebic colitis by using a newly developed endocytoscope.

Gastrointest Endosc

Undiagnosed amebic brain abscess.

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health

Molecular identification of Entamoeba spp. in captive nonhuman primates.

J Clin Microbiol

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