Question

Amoebiasis is caused by
A. Plasmodium vivax
B. Entamoeba gingivitis
C. Entamoeba histolytica
D. Trypanosoma gambiense

Answer 1

Hint: It is a protozoan parasite that is transmitted by faecal-oral route either directly i.e. person to person or indirectly i.e. by eating or drinking faecal contaminated food materials. It occurs in countries with poor sanitation practices.

Complete answer:
Entamoeba histolytica is an anaerobic parasitic amoebozoa. It causes amoebiasis. The tetranucleate cyst form of Entamoeba histolytica in the environment leads to this disease. The cysts are excreted in stool and infect humans. The cysts remain viable for several days in water, sewage, faeces and soil in the low temperature and moisture conditions. This is the infective stage of Entamoeba histolytica. Its symptoms include abdominal cramps, loose stool, and stomach pain. It can be acute, chronic, and extraintestinal. In acute amoebiasis, a person can have diarrhoea, with frequent bloody stools. In chronic amoebiasis, a person can experience gastrointestinal symptoms as well as fatigue, occasional fever, and weight loss. Extraintestinal amoebiasis occurs when the parasite spreads into other organs and can cause a liver amoebic abscess. In this condition, a person can suffer from fever. Most people do not experience severe symptoms.
Hence, the correct answer is option C.

Note: Many protozoan parasites can colonize humans, but only a few can cause diseases. Entamoeba exists in two forms: vegetative or trophozoite stage and cystic form or cyst stage. They can be transmitted through the faecal-oral route and oral-rectal route. Several vectors such as cockroaches, rodents, and flies that can transmit infection.