Trends in Parasitology
Therapy of intestinal protozoa
Section snippets
Amebiasis
The global burden of disease due to amebiasis has primarily been based on stool ova and parasite exams, which are insensitive and cannot differentiate E. histolytica (Figure 1) from other morphologically identical nonpathogenic species such as Entamoeba dispar and Entamoeba moshkovskii 1, 2. Antigen detection, culture and/or PCR are much more specific and sensitive means to detect E. histolytica infection [3]. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, these techniques demonstrated that preschool children had a
Cryptosporidiosis and other spore-forming protozoa
The spore-forming protozoa (cryptosporidia, cyclospora, isospora, and the microsporidia which are now classified as fungi) are named according to the infectious spore form of the parasite which is spread in a fecal–oral manner. After ingestion of spores from contaminated food or water, sporozoites are released which invade into the intestinal epithelium where they replicate intracellularly. In humans with a normal immune system, infection with an intestinal spore-forming parasite leads to a
Giardiasis
Giardia lamblia (Figure 3) is the most common parasite identified in stool samples of individuals in the USA, present in ∼4% of stool specimens submitted to clinical laboratories. The disease is quite common in developing countries as well, especially in urban slums where a substantial number of children are infected. Water- and food-borne transmission are the most frequent mechanisms of spread, with person to person spread important in day care settings and among sexually active homosexual
Conclusion
The intestinal protozoan parasites are presently, and for the most part adequately, treated with current available medications. Important exceptions where no or inadequate therapeutic options exist include the fungal microsporidial enteropathogens and cryptosporidial infections in patients with AIDS. For many of the anaerobic protists (Entamoeba, Giardia and the sexually transmitted vaginal parasite Trichomonas), metronidazole is the drug of first choice, with attendant problems of drug
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Therapeutic and prophylactic effects of Punica granatum peel extract versus metronidazole in murine Giardiasis intestinalis
2022, Journal of King Saud University - ScienceCitation Excerpt :Reinfection, insufficient dosage, poor immunity, drug resistance, sequestration in the biliary system, and the creation of an antioxidant network to protect oxygen-sensitive metalloenzymes are all probable reasons for Giardia therapy failure (Ansell et al., 2015). However, the majority of the medications utilized have significant adverse side effects and are therefore contraindicated (Gardner and Hill, 2001; Petri, 2003). The consumer, and the ever-increasing desire for drug-free food production, is another restraint in the use of anti-Giardia drugs (Harper and Makatouni, 2002).
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