Entamoeba coli

Introduction

Case fatality rates associated with amebic colitis range from 1.9%-9.1% (Aristizábal et al, 1991)

Hosts

Human

Transmission / Exposure Route

Fecal-oral, indirectly through contact with dirty hands or objects

Case Fatality Ratio

Case fatality rates associated with amebic colitis range from 1.9%-9.1%. Amebic colitis evolves to fulminant necrotizing colitis or rupture in approximately 0.5% of cases; in such cases, the mortality rate jumps to greater than 40%. ^[2]
The mortality rate due to amebic liver abscess has fallen to 1-3% in the last century following the introduction of effective medical treatment. Nevertheless, amebic liver abscess is complicated by sudden intraperitoneal rupture in 2-7% of patients, leading to a higher mortality rate^[3]

Incubation Period

2 days to 4 months ^[1]

Burden of Disease

Asymptomatic intestinal amebiasis occurs in 90% of infected individuals. However, only 4%-10% of individuals with asymptomatic amebiasis who were monitored for one year eventually developed colitis or extraintestinal disease ^[4]
The overall prevalence of amebiasis is approximately 4% in the United States^[1]
Entamoeba species infect approximately 10% of the world's population^[1]

Duration of Infectiousness and disease

Symptomology

Latency

Asymptomatic Rates

Excretion Rates (see Exposure)

Immunity

Microbiology

A non-pathogenic species of Entamoeba that frequently exists as a commensal parasite in the human gastrointestinal tract

Enviromental Survival

Survive weeks to months in the external environment