ABSTRACT

Amebiasis is a potentially invasive enteric disease caused by the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica. The spectrum of human disease includes asymptomatic intestinal colonization, invasive colitis, liver abscess, intestinal perforation, and peritonitis. Appreciation of the global magnitude of amebic disease coupled with recognition of groups at high risk for amebic infection in the United States has recently stimulated research on a disease initially described over a century ago.