Diarrhea Caused by Nonpathogenic Amoebae in Patients with AIDS

To the Editor: Diarrhea is a frequent problem in homosexuals with AIDS and may be due to a wide range of organisms, including Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Isospora belli, cryptosporidium species, shigella species, salmonella species, campylobacter species, Mycobacterium avium–intracellulare, and cytomegalovirus.^1,2 The diarrhea is usually moderate to severe and may occasionally persist even after the pathogens have been eliminated by appropriate therapy. Other intestinal protozoa, such as Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba hartmanni, Endolimax nana, and Iodamoeba buetschlli, are regarded as harmless commensals and do not produce disease in humans. During the past 12 months we have encountered 11…, No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.