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Infection with Nonpathogenic Intestinal Amebas
The
following intestinal amebas do not make people sick and therefore are
called "nonpathogenic."
Chilomastix
mesnili (KYE-low-MASS-ticks mez-KNEE-lye)
Endolimax
nana (En-doe-LYE-max NAH-na)
Entamoeba
coli (ENT-a-ME-ba KO-lye)
Entamoeba
dispar (ENT-a-ME-ba DIS-par)
Entamoeba
hartmanni (ENT-a-ME-ba hart-MAHN-ee)
Entamoeba
polecki (ENT-a-ME-ba po-LECK-ee)
Iodamoeba
buetschlii (eye-ODE-a-ME-ba
bush-lee-eye)
Where do these
amebas live in the body?
These amebas are found only in the intestine and do not harm the body.
How did they get there?
The presence of one or more of them in a person's stool indicates that the person swallowed
something, perhaps food or water, that was contaminated with stool that contained the
amebas.
However, people infected with them may also have been exposed through contaminated stool to
organisms that could make
people sick.
I have not been feeling well. Are these amebas the cause of my illness?
If you are having symptoms, such as diarrhea, the cause of your illness is not the
amebas. You
and your health care provider should look for another cause. The cause may be infectious (i.e.,
infection with a parasite, virus, or bacterium) or noninfectious (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome).
I have a weak immune system. Am I at greater risk of developing illness from these
amebas?
No. Studies have shown that these amebas do not make people sick, even those who have a
weakened immune system. People with a weakened immune system include those who have
HIV/AIDS, are taking certain types of chemotherapy, or have recently received an organ
transplant.
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This page last reviewed
March 2001
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Division of Parasitic Diseases
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