Parasite

Dientamoeba Fragilis

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Dientamoeba Fragilis

  • Epidemiology
  1. Most common Protozoan infection in industrialized countries, worldwide
  2. More common in children
  • Pathophysiology
  1. Intestinal flagellate related to trichomonads (Trichomonas), and not related to amoebas
  2. Fecal-oral transmission
  3. Most commonly found in the trophozoite form
    1. Typically in the Large Bowel or passed in the stool
  • Symptoms
  1. Often asymptomatic
  2. Nausea
  3. Diarrhea
  4. Abdominal Pain
  5. Pruritus Ani
  • Labs
  1. Ova and Parasite stain
  • Resources
  1. Dientamoeba Fragilis (CDC)
    1. https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/dientamoeba/index.html
  • References
  1. Schonau (2024) Am Fam Physician 109(6): 569-70 [PubMed]