Amoebiasis is an infection caused by a unicellular organism, known as amoeba. Amoebiasis can affect people as well as dogs and cats. It is most often found in tropical areas.
Varieties and symptoms of amoebiasis
Contents
There are two types of parasitic amoeba that infect dogs: Dysenteric amoeba (Entamoeba histolytica) and Acantameba (Acanthamoeba).
Dysenteric amoeba
- Usually asymptomatic disease
- Severe infections can cause colitis, and as a result, bloody diarrhea
- Hematogenous spread (spread throughout the body through blood) leads to damage and failure of the leading organs. Symptoms depend on the affected organs. Lethal is likely. Exodus
Akantameba
- Causes brain inflammation. There is a lack of appetite, fever, lethargic, discharge from eyes and nose, shortness of breath and neurological symptoms (loss of coordination, convulsions, etc.)
Causes of infection
- Dogs may become infected by swallowing or breathing contaminated water, water from soil or sewage.
- Akantameba may colonize animal skin or cornea eyes
- Infection can spread through the bloodstream
- Nose infection can spread to the brain
Amebiasis Diagnosis
If an animal’s urine and blood test shows dehydration, Veterinarians recommend the following procedures:
- Colon biopsy, colonoscopy (examination of the colon with a long cylindrical area with light.) A biopsy can reveal damage to the intestinal mucosa, as well as trophozoites (stage in the life cycle of the pathogen.)
- Stool analysis for trophozoites
- MRI of the brain – can detect granulomas in the form of meningoencephalitis
- Brain biopsy
Treatment
For the treatment of local inflammations successfully used Metronidazole. However, systemic forms of the disease (i.e. infection, that spread through the blood) usually end fatal despite treatment.