- Main symptoms
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- What causes amebiasis
- How the treatment is done
- How to avoid catching this disease
Amebiasis, also known as amoebic dysentery, is an intestinal infection caused by the protozoan Entamoeba histolytica, which causes severe diarrhea, fever, chills and feces with blood or whitish secretions.
This protozoan, although it can appear in any region and infect anyone, is more common in tropical regions with poor sanitary conditions, especially affecting babies and children who like to play on the floor and have a habit of putting everything in their mouths.
Although it is relatively easy to treat, when Amebiasis is not diagnosed in time it can be life-threatening and, therefore, whenever symptoms suggestive of infection appear, especially in children, it is very important to go to the emergency room.
Main symptoms
Some of the main symptoms that may indicate the presence of Amebiasis are:
- Mild or moderate abdominal discomfort; Blood or secretions in the stool; Strong diarrhea or loose stools; Fever and chills; Nausea and nausea; Tiredness.
These are the first symptoms of the infection, however, when it is not treated properly, Entamoeba histolytica is able to pass through the intestine wall and spread cysts through the blood, reaching other important organs, such as the liver, lung, brain or heart, causing abscesses, infections and, in the most severe cases, death.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of this infection can be made through observation and analysis of the symptoms experienced.
To confirm the suspicions, the doctor may also order a stool test, which may have to be repeated for several days, as the parasite is not always found in the stool. In addition, in some cases a specific blood test may also be indicated, which helps to detect whether the infection is present or not.
When there is a suspicion that the infection is already spreading through the body, other tests such as ultrasound or computed tomography, for example, can also be done to assess whether there are lesions in other organs.
What causes amebiasis
Amoebiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the protozoan Entamoeba histolytica , which can enter the human body when cysts are ingested through food or water contaminated with feces.
When Entamoeba histolytica cysts enter the body, they are lodged in the walls of the digestive tract and release active forms of the parasite, which end up reproducing and migrate to the large intestine where, later on, it may end up passing through the intestinal wall and spreading through Whole body.
The person infected with Entamoeba histolytica can infect other people if their feces contaminates the soil or water used for drinking, washing dishes or bathing. Thus, it is very important to avoid using any type of water that may be contaminated with sewage. Learn about other diseases that can be caused by sewage in 7 Diseases caused by Sewage.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for uncomplicated intestinal amebiasis is usually done only with ingestion of Metronidazole capsules for up to 10 days in a row, although the doctor may also prescribe some sickness medication, such as Domperidone or Metoclopramide, if this symptom is causing a lot of discomfort.
In more advanced cases, in which amebiasis is spread to other parts of the body, in addition to treatment with Metronidazole, one should also try to resolve the injuries caused to the organs. In more rare cases, it may even be necessary to have surgery to remove the protozoan from the affected organs.
How to avoid catching this disease
To protect yourself from infection by Entamoeba histolytica , contact with sewage, contaminated or untreated water, floods, mud or rivers with standing water should be avoided, and the use of untreated chlorine pools is also discouraged.
In addition, if the sanitation conditions in the city where you live are not the best, you should always boil water before using it, for washing food or drinking. Another option is to disinfect and purify the water at home, which can be done using Sodium Hypochlorite. See how in What it is, what it is for and how to use sodium hypochlorite.
