What is the etiological agent of amebiasis? How is it transmitted and what are the typical manifestations of the disease?
Amebiasis is caused by the protozoan Entamoeba histolytica, or simply amoeba.
The transmission of the disease is oral-fecal, by contaminated water and food or by insects such as cockroaches and flies. The amoeba parasites the intestine of humans normally in an asymptomatic manner, but it can sometimes cause enteritis with diarrhea and severe dysentery, abdominal pain, weight loss and anemia. In rare cases extra-intestinal invasion might be occur affecting the liver, genital organs, skin and other organs.