1. Entamoeba histolytica

2. Written Discovery
Entamoeba histolytica was first discovered in Russia by Friedrich Losch in He found it in the stool of a farmer with chronic dysentery, and noticed a number of amoeba in it and concluded it was the cause of the dysentery.

3. Early Records Back in my Day!!
The earliest recorded symptoms of the parasite are found in Sanskrit documents known as Brigu-samhita, which was written around 1000BC. Texts that mention this disease are also Assyrian and Babylonian. Which indicates that the parasite was in the Tigris-Euphrates river in the 6th century B.C.
The first accurate description of the disease was written in the 1800’s by James Annersley in the book, “Researches into the Causes, Nature and Treatment of the More Prevalent Diseases of India and of Warm Climates Generally”
The disease was recorded in Greece, Asia Persia and the European nations.
Back in my Day!!

4. Recent Knowledge
Known for a long time was the fact that people that shed the cysts recovered. Put forth in 1925 by Emile Brumpt that there are two types of the parasite one that is invasive and one that is not, but it was not widely accepted.
In 1969 WHO classified amoebiasis as “infection with Entamoeba histolytica, with or without clinical manifestations”, meaning that all strains could be pathogenic.
In 1993 with the aid of biological and genetic data the invasive disease was to be known as E. histolytica and the non-invasive species named E. dispar.
In 1925 a man named Dobell Described the organisms life cycle.

5. Nowadays
In industrialized nations infection is rare but can be found in recent immigrants from endemic regions, homosexual males, immunosuppressed persons, and institutionalized individuals.
In the U.S. approximately 4% of the population is infected with the parasite. In 1993 a total of 2970 cases were reported to the CDC 33% were Hispanic and 17% were from Asia.

6. Prevalence
Mainly in Developing Nations but can be found in the U.S., especially with the illegal immigration from poorer countries into the U.S. who bring the parasite in without knowing it.
Entamoeba Species affect nearly 10% of the world population, and is the second protozoal killer next to malaria.
Infection can be as high as 50% in areas such as Central and South America, Africa, and Asia resulting in almost 110,000 deaths annually.
Usually dew to poor sanitation and the use of night fertilizer.
It is seven to twelve time more common in men, but in children the rate is the same. Younger Children though are more at risk for the invasive disease which results in higher death rates.

7. Spread
Back in European Imperialism spread along with trade routes, because Europe was not the cleanest place.
With illegal immigration, and immigration in general.
Use of bad fertilizer to grow more food to feed growing nations.

8. Solutions
90-99% are asymptomatic- which means that usually the disease cures itself and no medication is taken.
Better waste management is important in containing the disease, and usually proper fertilizer instead of feces would help out as well. More Education
Tests that test for certain antibodies are highly accurate but are rare in developing countries were the problem is epidemic, usually the way to tell in these parts of the world is through the feces.
Ultrasounds can also be given to find the abscesses.
Sometime surgery is done if the symptoms are sever.
Iodoquinol- good for the cyst forms, can interfere with thyroid function.
Paromomycin- if given in large doses can posses the same symptoms as the parasite.
Diloxanide- not used in the U.S. adverse side affects.

9. References http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic116.htm