Is Dientamoeba fragilis serious?

Dientamoeba fragilis is a parasite that is commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. It is found in populations around the world and is increasingly recognised as a parasite with the potential to cause illness in humans.

What disease does Dientamoeba fragilis cause?

Dientamoeba fragilis is an ameboid-appearing protozoan that infects the colon and has been associated with diarrheal disease, especially in youngchildren (Stark et al., 2016).

What is Dientamoeba fragilis trophozoites?

Dientamoeba fragilis is a parasite that lives in the large intestine of people. This protozoan parasite produces trophozoites; cysts have not been identified. The intestinal infection may be either asymptomatic or symptomatic.

How do you treat Dientamoeba fragilis trophozoites?

Treatments reported to be successful for dientamoebiasis include carbarsone, diphetarsone, tetracyclines, paromomycin, erythromycin, hydroxyquinolines and the 5-nitroimidazoles, including metronidazole, secnidazole, tinidazole and ornidazole.

How do you get Dientamoeba fragilis trophozoites?

Most likely, people get infected by accidentally swallowing the parasite; this is called fecal-oral transmission. The parasite is fragile; it probably cannot live very long in the environment (after it is passed in feces) or in stomach acid (after it is swallowed).

Should Dientamoeba fragilis be treated?

fragilis infection do not require treatment. Retesting of a faecal specimen after antimicrobial treatment (if given) is not recommended.

Can you get rid of Dientamoeba fragilis?

Treatment for Dientamoeba fragilis infection Most people with D. fragilis infection do not require treatment. Retesting of a faecal specimen after antimicrobial treatment (if given) is not recommended.

Is Dientamoeba fragilis trophozoites contagious?

fragilis infection. Transmissibility of the organism is also unknown, and although high prevalences of infections worldwide would indicate that the organism is easily transmitted between persons, there are no data for infection rates between close contacts of infected patients.

Are trophozoites infectious?

Life Cycle. . Cysts can survive days to weeks in the external environment and remain infectious in the environment due to the protection conferred by their walls. Trophozoites passed in the stool are rapidly destroyed once outside the body, and if ingested would not survive exposure to the gastric environment.

How do you get Dientamoeba fragilis Trophozoites?

What happens during trophozoite stage?

Life cycle stages In the apicomplexan life cycle the trophozoite undergoes schizogony (asexual reproduction) and develops into a schizont which contains merozoites. The trophozoite life stage of Giardia colonizes and proliferates in the small intestine.

Are trophozoites transmitted to humans?

The trophozoite, the only form of this organism, divides by binary fission in the urogenital tract. Transfer of the relatively delicate trophozoite is usually directly from person to person.

Where are trophozoites found?

The trophozoite resides in the cecal area and throughout the large intestine. It thrives in an environment rich in starch, such as the small intestine; however, in such an environment, the trophozoite does not invade the intestinal mucosa.

Is Dientamoeba fragilis a trophozoite?

Dientamoeba fragilis is primarily a parasite of humans. Trophozoites have been identified in some other mammals (e.g., non-human primates, swine), but the epidemiologic significance of these hosts is unknown.

What is the global prevalence of Dientamoeba fragilis infection?

Dientamoeba fragilis is found worldwide. Infection appears to be more common in children. The pathogenicity and clinical importance of D. fragilis continue to be investigated, including whether particular genotypes, subtypes, or strains of D. fragilis are associated with symptomatic infection in humans.

What are the symptoms of Dientamoeba fragilis infection?

What are the symptoms of infection with Dientamoeba fragilis? Many infected people do not have any symptoms. The most common symptoms are diarrhea and abdominal pain. Symptoms also can include loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, and fatigue.

What is the treatment for Dientamoeba fragilis?

Girginkardesler N, Coskun S, Balcioglu IC, et al. Dientamoeba fragilis, a neglected cause of diarrhea, successfully treated with secnidazole. Clin Microbiol Infect 2003;9:110–3.