Dysentery ::
This disease is characterised by occasional small stools with mucus and blood accompanied by abdominal pain (colic) fever spasm of sphincter ani and griping pains There are two types of dysentery : (1) Bacillary dysentery which is caused by shigella group of microbes Schistosoma mansoni or Salantidium coli (2) Amoebic dysentery which is caused by Entamoeba histolytica in its vegetative form or cysts
Life Cycle of Entamoeba histolytica : Entamoeba histolytica exists into two stages : (1) An active or trophozoite form in which amoeba is found in the stool of the patient suffering from acute dysentery (2) Cystic stage is found in the stool of chronic symptomless carrier of Entamoeba histolytica
Amoebic dysentery is transmitted by ingestion of cysts through contaminated food or water Patient suffering from acute amoebic dysentery excrete the trophozoite form Trophozoite form is destroyed by the gastric juice and thus it is not harmful The disease spreads through food and water contaminated with the excreta of the patient Fly and dust also play an important role in the spread of infection Flies acts as carrier of amoebic cysts which are excreted with the stool
Amoebic dysentery is characterised by stools with small amounts of mucus and blood and colic pain in colon It gives rise to inflammation and ulcers in the colon It generally affects the liver with amoebic hepatitis Patients and healthy carries must be treated after stool microscopy and their stools must be disinfected before disposal
The cysts of Entamoeba survive outside the body for a long time in a cool moist place The cystic wall is not soluble in gastric juice It passes through the stomach unchanged and the trophozoite form is formed in the small or large intestine
This infection is common at all ages and in both sexes in tropical countries There are dysentery carriers who excrete cysts with the excreta without showing any signs of the disease They look healthy but they are sources of great danger There are bacillary dysentery carriers also and they excrete causative microbes and pus cells in stool
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