The
Entamoeba is a parasite. This means that it lives off of a
host. Some harmless Entamoebas are living in you right
now! They are
quite small, 20-35 um and have a simple life cycle that consists of an
infective cyst stage (shown below left) and a multiplying Trophozoite stage
(shown above). Transmission
of the infection occurs by ingesting the cysts that contaminate food or
water supplies. The cysts contaminate the supplies from the fecal
material of infected animals. Humans
can be hosts to at least six species of Entamoeba however only one
species, Entamoeba histolytica is known to cause disease.
Infection of this amoeba leads to amoebic dysentery. Entamoeba
gingivalis can be found within the spaces between the teeth and is associated
with periodontal disease and gingivitis. (This is why you should floss!) Entamoeba coli is another
entamoeba and is commensal of the human large intestine. It is not
the same as E-coli (Escherichia coli) which is a harmful bacteria one gets from eating raw or
uncooked meat. |
