Entamoeba histolytica
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For the parasitical infection, refer to Amoebiasis.
Entamoeba histolytica is an anaerobic parasitic eukaryote protozoan, part of the genus Entamoeba. It infects predominantly humans and other primates. Diverse mammals such as dogs and cats can become infected but usually do not shed cysts (the environmental survival form of the organism) with their feces, thus do not contribute significantly to transmission. The active (trophozoite) stage exists only in the host and in fresh feces; cysts survive outside the host in water and soils and on foods, especially under moist conditions on the latter. When swallowed they cause infections by excysting (to the trophozoite stage) in the digestive tract.
External links
- Public domain [Entamoeba histolytica article] from the Bad Bug Book, from which the original version of this article was adapted
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