Miscellaneous

Does Dientamoeba fragilis need treatment?

Does Dientamoeba fragilis need treatment?

Treatment for Dientamoeba fragilis infection fragilis infection do not require treatment.

Is medication available to treat infection with Dientamoeba fragilis?

The nitroimidazole drugs secnidazole and ornidazole have been used to treat D. fragilis infection but are unavailable in the United States. Iodoquinol is available for human use in the United States. Oral paromomycin is available for human use in the United States.

What is Dientamoeba fragilis symptoms?

The most common symptoms are diarrhea and abdominal pain. Symptoms also can include loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, and fatigue. The infection does not spread from the intestine to other parts of the body.

Which is the best medicine for Dientamoeba fragilis?

As always, treatment decisions should be individualized. *Not FDA-approved for this indication. ** Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole drug. The nitroimidazole drugs secnidazole and ornidazole have been used to treat D. fragilis infection but are unavailable in the United States. Iodoquinol is available for human use in the United States.

How long does it take to get Dientamoeba fragilis infection?

Chronic infections are reported, with one study indicating 32% of patients infected with D. fragilis present with symptoms greater than 2 weeks in duration ( Stark et al., 2005 ). A recent study has also shown high rates of D. fragilis infection amongst close household contacts of patients with dientamoebiasis.

Are there any antimicrobial agents for dientamoebiasis?

Various antimicrobial agents have historically been attempted for the treatment of dientamoebiasis, and although many presently used drugs have shown in-vitro effectiveness against D. fragilis [ 14 – 16 ], present recommendations are largely based on small numbers of nonrandomized studies [ 17 ].

Are there any placebo controlled trials for dientamoebiasis?

As case reports on successful treatment are numerous, many authors advocate treatment, despite no placebo-controlled trials being available. Metronidazole is often used for treatment, though eradication rates are relatively low (60%–80%).