A three year surveillance study in Kolkata has found an amoeba pathogen that previously did not cause any amoebiasis (a form of diarrhoea) in humans has now become pathogenic.
Key points
- Surprisingly, a team of researchers from the Kolkata based National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMRNICED) found that not only had the amoeba pathogen — Entamoeba mosh- kovskii — turned pathogenic, it was the leading cause of amoebic infections in humans; more than half of the amoebic infections were caused by this.
- The researchers studied the stool samples of diarrheal patients in Kolkata.
- Of particular concern is the fact that infections caused by E. histolytica, which used to be the predominant amoeba pathogen that caused amoebiasis, were decreasing and the newly pathogenic E. moshkovskii was taking its place.
- Diarrhoea can be caused by bacteria, viruses and amoeba pathogens.
- In the study, a team of researchers of NICED found nearly 5% of patients with diarrhoea that was caused by different Entamoeba species and over 3% of patients were infected with E. moshkovskii.
