Abstract

GOMEZ, JULIO CÉSAR; CORTES, JORGE ALBERTO; CUERVO, SONIA ISABEL  and  LOPEZ, MYRIAM CONSUELO. Intestinal amebiasis. Infect. [online]. 2007, vol.11, n.1, pp.36-45. ISSN 0123-9392.

Entamoeba histolytica is the most frequent intestinal pathogen seen in our country, after Giardia lamblia, being one of the main causes of diarrhea in children younger than five years of age, and the fourth leading cause of death due to infection for protozoa in the world. It possesses complex pathogenic mechanisms that allow it to invade the intestinal mucosa, causing amoebic colitis. Microscopy is the most used method for its identification, but the existence of two species morphologically identical, the pathogen one ( E. histolytica), and the non pathogen one ( E. dispar), have taken to the development of other methods of diagnosis. The access to drinkable water and appropriate sanitary services, an opportune medical treatment, and the development of a vaccine are the axes to diminish the incidence and mortality of this entity.

Keywords : amebiasis; parasitic infections; Entamoeba histolytica.

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