title: Dientamoebiasis: clinical importance and recent advances.
abstract: Dientamoeba fragilis, an unusual single-celled parasite that was described first in 1918, is found worldwide in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. D. fragilis has emerged from obscurity recently because it is now recognized as a common cause of chronic diarrhoea and is treatable with drugs. Recent molecular studies have described D. fragilis as having two genotypes. Diagnostic tests, based on conventional and real-time PCR, have been developed that will provide a rapid, sensitive and specific diagnosis of D. fragilis. These tests will also aid the elucidation of the host distribution and the life cycle of this pathogen.
authors.affiliation: St Vincent's Hospital, Department of Microbiology, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia. dstark@stvincents.com.au
authors.forename: Damien J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beebe
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marriott
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harkness
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000469:parasitology; D004029:Dientamoeba / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004030:Dientamoebiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission