Short communication: Prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar in northern Ghana.
Since the redescription of the potentially invasive Entamoeba histolytica, separating it from the morphologically identical non-invasive Entamoeba dispar, there is a need for the reassessment of epidemiological data on amoebiasis. In this context we conducted a descriptive survey on the presence of E. histolytica and E. dispar in a rural area in northern Ghana. We found a high prevalence (39.8%) of the E. histolytica/E. dispar complex with microscopy, but E. histolytica and E. dispar-specific DNA amplification using real-time polymerase chain reaction identified only one E. histolytica case and revealed a considerably higher prevalence of E. dispar (82.8%).
Verweij
Jaco J
JJ
Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. j.j.verweij@lumc.nl
Oostvogel
Fieke
F
Brienen
Eric A T
EA
Nang-Beifubah
Alexis
A
Ziem
Juventus
J
Polderman
Anton M
AM
D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004747:Entamoeba / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004749:Entamoebiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health
D016054:DNA, Protozoan