Amebiasis

Amebiasis is the human disease caused by the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica, and the surveillance concept in the provided data frames it as an Entamoeba histolytica infection ^[1][2]. The organism is described as a protozoan amoeba with a lifecycle involving trophozoite and cyst forms, and as a parasite that can persist in the intestinal ecosystem while occasionally becoming invasive ^[2]. The sources do not provide further disease-definition detail beyond this etiologic characterization ^[1][2].

The main reported clinical features are acute diarrhea, dysentery, amebic colitis, and amebic liver abscesses ^[1]. One source notes that most infected individuals may remain asymptomatic with colonization of the large intestine and a self-limiting course, whereas others develop mucosal invasion and invasive disease ^[1]. Another source states that in about 10% of infected cases the parasite becomes pathogenic, with intestinal invasion following a breach of mucus, epithelium, connective tissue, and possibly blood ^[2]. For liver abscess, the source describes upper-right abdominal pain with fever as part of the clinical presentation ^[3].

The available sources describe amebiasis as affecting millions of people worldwide and identify Entamoeba histolytica as a major parasitic cause of human mortality ^[2][1]. One review states that the parasite mainly infects children in developing countries and is transmitted through contaminated food and water ^[1]. Amebic liver abscess is described as the most common extraintestinal manifestation of invasive amebiasis, with one source reporting nearly 50,000 fatalities worldwide in 2010 and noting ongoing importance in endemic areas despite fewer cases in recent years ^[3]. The sources do not provide finer-grained incidence, seasonality, or country-specific surveillance burden beyond these broad geographic and public-health observations ^[1][2][3].

The provided review identifies food and water contamination as the transmission pathway for Entamoeba histolytica ^[1]. Another source describes invasive disease as arising after the parasite breaches host defenses and intestinal mucosa, with trophozoites then entering the circulatory system and reaching the liver in extraintestinal disease ^[3]. No additional transmission details, such as person-to-person routes or environmental persistence, are explicitly stated in the supplied material ^[1][3].

The source-backed material identifies children in developing countries as a principal affected group ^[1]. It also highlights people in endemic areas as a continuing concern for extraintestinal disease burden ^[3]. No additional risk-group detail, such as occupational, behavioral, travel-related, or immunologic susceptibility, is stated in the provided snippets ^[1][3].

Prevention and control measures specifically named in the sources are improvement of water purification systems and hygiene practices, which are said to reduce disease incidence ^[1]. The review also notes that no amebiasis vaccine has been approved for human clinical trials to date, although vaccine-development studies are ongoing ^[1]. The source set does not provide additional, evidence-backed preventive guidance beyond these exposure-control measures ^[1].

For surveillance purposes, amebiasis should be interpreted as a parasitic infection with a broad spectrum from asymptomatic intestinal colonization to invasive colitis and liver abscess ^[1][2][3]. The sources indicate that extraintestinal disease, especially amebic liver abscess, remains a notable public-health concern in endemic areas even if case numbers have declined ^[3]. Because the supplied material emphasizes contamination of food and water and incomplete symptom expression, routine monitoring should consider both symptomatic invasive disease and the possibility of underrecognized infection, although detailed screening or case-definition guidance is not provided in the sources ^[1][2].

1. 1 Li J et al. Review of zoonotic amebiasis: Epidemiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control. Res Vet Sci. 2021 May. PMID: 33676155. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.02.021. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33676155/
2. 2 Guillén N et al. Pathogenicity and virulence of Entamoeba histolytica, the agent of amoebiasis. Virulence. 2023 Dec. PMID: 36519347. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2158656. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36519347/
3. 3 Usuda D et al. Amebic liver abscess by Entamoeba histolytica. World J Clin Cases. 2022 Dec 26. PMID: 36683647. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i36.13157. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36683647/
4. 4 Amebiasis. International Journal of Dermatology. 1986. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-4362.1986.tb04706.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4362.1986.tb04706.x
5. 5 Amebiasis. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine. 1931. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1931.s1-11.469. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1931.s1-11.469
6. 6 AMEBIASIS. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1933. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-7-6-788. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-7-6-788

ICD-10

A06

ICD-11

1A36

Total cases

7K

Peak month

2008-03

Coverage

2 reporting countries · 1997-01-01 → 2026-06-01