Dientamoebiasis: clinical importance and recent advances - PubMed (original) (raw)
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Dientamoebiasis: clinical importance and recent advances
Damien J Stark et al. Trends Parasitol. 2006 Feb.
Abstract
Dientamoeba fragilis, an unusual single-celled parasite that was described first in 1918, is found worldwide in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. D. fragilis has emerged from obscurity recently because it is now recognized as a common cause of chronic diarrhoea and is treatable with drugs. Recent molecular studies have described D. fragilis as having two genotypes. Diagnostic tests, based on conventional and real-time PCR, have been developed that will provide a rapid, sensitive and specific diagnosis of D. fragilis. These tests will also aid the elucidation of the host distribution and the life cycle of this pathogen.