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PREVALENCE AND SPECIES DISTRIBUTION OF E. HISTOLYTICA AND E. DISPAR IN THE VENDA REGION, LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA

The prevalence and species distribution of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar in the Venda region were determined in stool samples collected from public hospitals and primary schools by ELISA and a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). E. histolytica was detected in 37/197 (18.8%) and 1/47 (2.1%) samples, whereas 50/197 (25.3%) and 4/47 (8.5%) had E. dispar in the hospitals and schools, respectively. The age groups most infected were 0–2 (33%) years followed by 20–29 years (27%). E. histolytica was significantly associated with diarrhea (77.4% versus 22.6%; ² = 39.48, P < 0.05), and with the presence of lactoferrin (85.7% versus 14.2%) in the stools, indicating intestinal inflammation (² = 29.605, P < 0.05). E. histolytica was found in 5 (16.12%) of the 31 HIV-positive individuals and in 33 (15.5%) of the 213 HIV-negative individuals. E. histolytica infections are common in the Venda region and are associated with diarrhea and intestinal inflammation.

Received February 9, 2006. Accepted for publication May 13, 2006.

Financial support: This study was supported in part by grants from the Ellison Medical Foundation and the Pfizer Foundation to the University of Virginia where Amidou Samie is a fellow in the Center for Global Health. We are also grateful to the International Society of Infectious Diseases for the small grant program. The antigen detection kit was kindly provided by Techlab, Blacksburg, VA.

Disclosure: R. Guerrant licensed fecal lactoferrin testing to Techlab, Inc., Blacksburg, VA. This statement is made in the interest of full disclosure and not because the author considers this to be a conflict of interest.

^* Address correspondence to Richard L. Guerrant, Center for Global Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, MR4, Lane Road, Room 3148, Charlottesville, VA 22908. E-mail: guerrant{at}virginia.edu

Authors’ addresses: Amidou Samie, Center for Global Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908 and Department of Microbiology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa. Larry C. Obi and Pascal O. Bessong, Department of Microbiology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa. Suzanne Stroup, Eric Houpt, and Richard Guerrant, Center for Global Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908.