Difficulties in the treatment of intestinal amoebiasis in mentally disabled individuals at a rehabilitation institution for the intellectually impaired in Japan.
BACKGROUND
A mass Entamoeba histolytica infection recurred despite repeated treatments with metronidazole at a rehabilitation institution for individuals with intellectual impairments.


METHODS
Diloxanide furoate was administered to improve intractable intestinal amoebiasis after a recurring amoebic infection that tends to occur via coprophagy in mentally disabled individuals infected with E. histolytica at an institution (the prevalence rate and positive serology rate were 38.2 and 67.1%, respectively). The therapeutic effect of the drugs was judged by microscopic stool examination and an E. histolytica antigen detection kit.


RESULTS
The mass infection was eliminated through the administration of metronidazole and subsequent use of diloxanide furoate.


CONCLUSIONS
Combination therapy successfully cured and prevented transmission of the mass E. histolytica infection at the institution.
Fujishima
Tsukasa
T
Division of Surgery, Shirataka Town Hospital, Shirataka, Japan.
Nishise
Shoichi
S
Ichihara
Masahiro
M
Kobayashi
Seiki
S
Takeuchi
Tsutomu
T
D000563:Amebicides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004404:Dysentery, Amebic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005663:Furans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000563:Amebicides; D005663:Furans; D008795:Metronidazole; C004932:diloxanide furoate