ABSTRACT
Amebiasis is a prime example of what has been called Pathology of Poverty, a concept that includes malnutrition, poor hygienic habits, inappropriate use of untreated water for agricultural purposes, etc. Remarkable progress has been made about the basic biology of E. histolytica, the diseases it causes, the mechanisms it sets in motion to cause disease as well as the responses of the host to oppose this, and as a consequence, treatment of such diseases has also witnessed some remarkable successes. A major achievement of years has been the classification of E. histolytica in zymodemes, a strategy that may provide a practical way to differentiate pathogenic from nonpathogenic strains, redefine epidemiology and in turn rationalize the treatment of carriers. It is quite possible that the specific, albeit empiric treatment of diseases caused by E. histolytica began long ago in the Amazonian jungles of Brazil, were ipecacuanha grows wildly.
