Epidemic of amoebiasis and giardiasis in a biased population.
Of 126 homosexual men in a selected population in New York City, 31.7% were infected with Entamoeba histolytica, 18.3% with Giardia lamblia, and 39.7% with one or both on a single stool examination. Of 5885 clinic and hospital patients examined in the same laboratory by the same methods, 1.3% were infected with E. histolytica, 2.1% with G. lamblia, and 3.3% with one or both. Evidence indicates that an epidemic of intestinal protozoan infection exists in the homosexual male population in New York City. The difficulty in making a diagnosis, inadequate therapy, failure to alert potential victims, and official neglect of the epidemic have combined to create a dangerous situation.
D000562:Amebiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004749:Entamoebiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City