Learn what a typical Amebic dysentery prognosis is at Consumer Reports Health.

Amebic dysentery

What will happen to me?

The diarrhea that you get from amebic dysentery may go away after a few weeks. But unless you get treatment, you'll still have amoebas in your body. This means you could still pass the infection on to other people. Also, the diarrhea could come back.

Without treatment, amoebas can continue to live in your bowels (intestines) for months or even years. In about 90 in 100 people, they don't cause any symptoms.

Source:
World Health Organization.
Amoebiasis.
Weekly Epidemiological Record. 1997; 72: 97-99.

Source:
Horga MA, Naparts TR, Dhawan VK, et al.
Amebiasis.
Available at http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic80.htm (accessed on 28 November 2008).

² But they may irritate the inside wall of your bowels and cause an open sore (an

ulcer
An ulcer is an open sore. Ulcers can happen in many parts of your body, such as in your stomach, and the skin of your legs, mouth or genitals.

ulcer).

Source:
Horga MA, Naparts TR, Dhawan VK, et al.
Amebiasis.
Available at http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic80.htm (accessed on 28 November 2008).

Source:
Haque R, Huston CD, Hughes M, et al.
Amebiasis.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2003; 348: 1565-1573.

³ This may bleed and lead to bloody

diarrhea
Diarrhea is when you have loose, watery stools and you need to go to the bathroom far more often than usual. Doctors say you have diarrhea if you need to go to the bathroom more than three times a day.

diarrhea.

If you have diarrhea for more than few days, or you have blood or mucus in your stools, you should see a doctor.

Your doctor can prescribe treatments that will help your symptoms and kill the amoebas in your body.
It's important to tell your doctor if you've been traveling in another country, because amebic dysentery is rare in the United States.
Your doctor will want to take a sample of your stools so they can be tested for amoebas. You may also have a blood test.
Your doctor will also examine your abdomen. This is because, rarely, the infection can break through the wall of your bowels and affect other parts of your body, such as your

liver
Your liver is a large organ that sits on the right side of your body, just below your rib cage. It does several important things, including processing and storing nutrients from food, and breaking down chemicals, such as alcohol.

liver.

Source:
Horga MA, Naparts TR, Dhawan VK, et al.
Amebiasis.
Available at http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic80.htm (accessed on 28 November 2008).

²

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Amebiasis fact sheet.
Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/amebiasis (accessed on 28 November 2008).

⁴ This can cause swelling in your abdomen. If your doctor thinks the amoebas have spread to your liver, you may need more tests, such as an

ultrasound
Ultrasound is a tool doctors use to create images of the inside of your body. The ultrasound machine sends out high-frequency sound waves, which are directed at an area of your body through a device such as a probe. The waves reflect off parts of your body to create a picture. Ultrasound is often used to see a developing baby inside a woman's womb.

ultrasound.

Source:
Horga MA, Naparts TR, Dhawan VK, et al.
Amebiasis.
Available at http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic80.htm (accessed on 28 November 2008).

²

Source:
Stanley SL.
Amoebiasis.
Lancet. 2003; 361: 1025-1034.

⁵ An infection in your liver can be treated with

antibiotics
These medications are used to help your immune system fight infection. There are a number of different types of antibiotics that work in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious agents. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.

antibiotics.

Source:
Stanley SL.
Amoebiasis.
Lancet. 2003; 361: 1025-1034.

⁵

Sometimes, the amoebas can cause a more serious condition called fulminant colitis. Fulminant colitis is rare, but it can be life-threatening. The symptoms include:

Severe

inflammation
If your skin or some other part of your body becomes red, swollen, hot or sore, we say it is inflamed. It means that your body is trying to protect you from germs, from something in your body tissues that can hurt you (like a thorn or sliver), or from things that cause allergies (allergens). Inflammation is part of the way the body heals an infection or injury.

inflammation of your bowel
Pain all over your abdomen
Very bad diarrhea
High fever.

It is important to see a doctor as soon as possible if you get any of these symptoms.

Treatments for amebic dysentery are very good. But even without treatment it's rare to die of it.

Source:
Horga MA, Naparts TR, Dhawan VK, et al.
Amebiasis.
Available at http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic80.htm (accessed on 28 November 2008).

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Amebiasis fact sheet.
Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/amebiasis (accessed on 28 November 2008).

⁴ People are more at risk of dying from this condition in developing countries, where good medical care isn't always available.

Source:
Espinosa-Cantellano M, Martiez-Palomo A.
Recent developments in amoebiasis research.
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2000; 13: 451-456.

⁶

Your doctor may give you advice on how to avoid passing on the infection to the people you live or work with. Make sure you wash your hands after going to the bathroom and before preparing food.

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Amebiasis fact sheet.
Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/amebiasis (accessed on 28 November 2008).

⁴ If you work with food or you're a health care worker, you should stay off work until your doctor says it's safe for you to go back to work.

Sources for the information on this page:

World Health Organization.Amoebiasis.Weekly Epidemiological Record. 1997; 72: 97-99.

Horga MA, Naparts TR, Dhawan VK, et al.Amebiasis.Available at http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic80.htm (accessed on 28 November 2008).

Haque R, Huston CD, Hughes M, et al.Amebiasis.New England Journal of Medicine. 2003; 348: 1565-1573.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Amebiasis fact sheet.Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/amebiasis (accessed on 28 November 2008).

Stanley SL.Amoebiasis.Lancet. 2003; 361: 1025-1034.

Espinosa-Cantellano M, Martiez-Palomo A.Recent developments in amoebiasis research.Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2000; 13: 451-456.

This information was last updated on Dec 04, 2008

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