Entamoeba polecki XXXX in Southeast Asian refugees: multiple cases of a rarely reported parasite.

@entity1 @entity1707 @entity868 @entity344 @entity281 @entity2330 @entity526
Recently, Entamoeba polecki was identified for the first time in our parasitology laboratory in stool specimens from eight Southeast Asian refugees. This ameba has been reported infrequently in the Western world; most reported cases have been from the New Guinea region. In most previously described @entity1 and in our @entity1 , no @entity344 could be directly attributed to E. polecki @entity281 . Morphologically, E. polecki may mimic the pathogen @entity2330 and also nonpathogens such as @entity526 . These species are most readily distinguished by studying encysted forms. In contrast to @entity2330 and @entity526 , E. polecki characteristically has uninucleate cysts. Both @entity1707 and monkeys naturally harbor E. polecki, but four of the @entity1 in this series had no apparent contact with these animals. Other modes of @entity281 may be @entity1 -to- @entity1 transmission or acquisition from other domestic animals. Six of our eight @entity1 were treated successfully with one course of @entity868 in a regimen similar to that used for @entity2330 @entity281 . In the two other @entity1 , repeated courses of therapy eradicated the @entity281 . Because of the recent increase in number of Southeast Asian immigrants to the United States, E. polecki may be identified more frequently than in the past. Physicians and laboratory personnel should be familiar with this organism, because it may be confused with @entity2330 or may act as a pathogen.
