- Mostly found in warmer climates
- Reproduces by binary fission
- Encysts and is passed out in the faeces
Pathogenesis
- Is the main cause of amoebic dysentery in man
- Acts as a source of infection for dogs and cats
- Monkeys have their own strains of Entamoeba histolytica which are also infective for man
- Trophozoites secrete proteolytic enzymes which produces flask-shaped ulcers in the mucosa of the large intestine
- Erosion of the large intestine may allow the parasite to enter the bloodstream which can cause abscesses in the liver
Diagnosis
- Detection of motile organisms and cysts in fresh faecal smears