Journal Article

Epidemiology of clinically relevant Entamoeba spp. (E. histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii/bangladeshi): A cross sectional study from North India

Banerjee, Tuhina, Shukla, Sunit Kumar, Khan, Uzma, Singh, Aradhana

2021

Overview

Entamoeba infections have major impact on millions of the people worldwide. Entamoeba histolytica has long been accepted as the only pathogenic species. However, recent reports of other Entamoeba spp. in symptomatic cases have raised questions on their pathogenicity. Total 474 stool samples and 125 liver aspirates from patients with intestinal and extra intestinal manifestations and from community were included. Sewage samples from the hospital and the city were also included. Microscopic examination and molecular detection were performed to detect presence of E. histolytica/ dispar/ moshkovskii/ bangladeshi. The associated demographic and socioeconomic factors were statistically analyzed with the presence of Entamoeba. Microscopy detected Entamoeba spp. in 5.4% stool and 6.4% liver aspirate samples. Through nested multiplex PCR, prevalence of Entamoeba spp. in intestinal and extra-intestinal cases was 6.6% (20/301) and 86.4% (108/125) respectively and in asymptomatic population was 10.5% (13/123). Sewage samples did not show presence of any Entamoeba spp. Uneducated subjects, low economic conditions, untreated drinking water, consumption of raw vegetables and habit of not washing hands before meals were significantly associated with presence of Entamoeba spp. E. histolytica still remains the only Entamoeba spp. in invasive extra intestinal infections. E. dispar was detected in both asymptomatic and symptomatic intestinal infections. Routine identification of Entamoeba spp. should incorporate PCR based detection methods.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Abdomen / Abscesses / Adolescent / Adult / Amebiasis / Asymptomatic / Biology and Life Sciences / Consent / Cross-Sectional Studies / Cysts / Detection / Diarrhea / Drinking water / Ecology and Environmental Sciences / Economic conditions / Economics / Engineering and Technology / Entamoeba / Entamoeba histolytica / Entamoebiasis - epidemiology / Entamoebiasis - parasitology / Epidemiology / Female / Gastrointestinal diseases / Health care / HIV / Hospitals / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Identification and classification / India - epidemiology / Infections / Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - epidemiology / Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - parasitology / Intestine / Liver / Male / Meals / Medicine and Health Sciences / Microscopy / Nucleotide sequence / Pathogenicity / Pathogens / PCR / People and Places / Population / Questionnaires / Risk factors / Samples / Sewage / Social factors / Socioeconomic data / Socioeconomic factors / Socioeconomics / Statistical methods / Statistics / Tropical diseases / Young Adult