Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
10:57

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children

Published on: August 22, 2012

Hepatic amebiasis among patients in a public teaching hospital

W X Shandera1, P Bollam, R H Hashmey

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, Tex 77030, USA.

Southern Medical Journal
|September 22, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Hepatic amebiasis, a parasitic infection, is increasingly diagnosed in the US, primarily affecting immigrants. Prompt diagnosis and treatment lead to rapid recovery and excellent outcomes for patients with this disease.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hepatology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Increased immigration to the US is linked to imported diseases like amebiasis.
  • Hepatic amebiasis is a significant parasitic infection endemic in developing countries.

Observation:

  • A retrospective review of 49 patients with hepatic amebiasis from 1985-1995 was conducted.
  • The majority of patients were immigrants from Latin America, predominantly male, with a mean age of 39.8 years.
  • Common symptoms included abdominal pain and fever, with ultrasonography revealing single lesions in 70% and right-sided involvement in 85%.

Findings:

  • Entamoeba histolytica serology was positive in 86% of cases.
  • Treatment resulted in rapid symptom resolution: defervescence in 2 days, normalized white cell count in 3 days, and pain resolution in 4 days.
  • Morbidity and mortality rates were low, with one case of pericarditis and one death in a cirrhotic patient.

Implications:

  • Hepatic amebiasis remains a relevant diagnosis in the US, particularly among Hispanic and Asian immigrants.
  • Current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are effective, leading to swift patient improvement.
  • Awareness of hepatic amebiasis is crucial for clinicians managing immigrant populations.

More Related Videos

Discovery of New Intracellular Pathogens by Amoebal Coculture and Amoebal Enrichment Approaches09:04

Discovery of New Intracellular Pathogens by Amoebal Coculture and Amoebal Enrichment Approaches

Published on: October 27, 2013

Analysis of the Epithelial Damage Produced by Entamoeba histolytica Infection11:49

Analysis of the Epithelial Damage Produced by Entamoeba histolytica Infection

Published on: June 12, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets01:17

Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets

Transmission-based precautions are for patients known to be infected or suspected to be infected or colonized with organisms that pose a significant risk to others. Some transmission-based precautions include contact, enteric, and droplet.
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
Hepatitis01:25

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
Giardiasis01:12

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a globally prevalent intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia or G. intestinalis). This flagellated protozoan is the most frequently identified intestinal parasite in the United States and worldwide. Transmission primarily occurs via the fecal-oral route, with infection arising from ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts. Individuals in low-resource settings, international travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, daycare...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...