Intestinal amebae

Although the intestinal amebae that infect humans are not thought of as classic agents of food-borne disease, food plays an important role in the transmission of these protozoa. This is particularly true for areas of the world where the organisms are endemic. Transmission of most intestinal protozoa occurs by the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or water. Among the four genera of amebae that infect man, only Entamoeba histolytica and Blastocystis hominis are causes of disease. This article focuses on E. histolytica because of the organism's medical and economic impact on humans. In addition, the epidemiology, control, and laboratory diagnosis of these protozoa are addressed.