Amebic colitis Amebiasis is an intestinal infection that is caused by the single-celled parasite Entamoeba histolytica. The infection is spread by eating food or drinking water that has been contaminated by infected human feces.
Many infected people do not have any symptoms, but in some cases the parasite causes amebic colitis (inflammation of the intestine), which may cause symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Occasionally, the intestine may become ulcerated, and amebic dysentery develops. This may cause watery, bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and sometimes fever.
In some cases, the infection may spread to the liver and cause a liver abscess, with symptoms such as fever, weight loss, chills, and painful enlargement of the liver.
Treatment of all forms of amebiasis is with antibiotic medication to kill the parasite.
This usually leads to a full recovery. Rarely, surgery may be needed to treat an amebic liver abscess. The risk of infection can be reduced by good personal hygiene and by avoiding food or water that might be contaminated
