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Balantidium (= Neobalantidium) (= Balantioides) coli, a large ciliated protozoan, is the only ciliate known to be capable of infecting humans. It is often associated with swine, the primary reservoir host. Recent molecular analyses have suggested the need for taxonomic revision, and it is now sometimes referred to as Neobalantidium coli or ...
Balantidium coli lives in the cecum and colon of humans, pigs, rats, and other mammals. It is not readily transmissible from one species of host to another because it requires a period of time to adjust to the symbiotic flora of the new host. Once it has adapted to a host species, the protozoan can become a serious pathogen, especially in humans.
- B. coli
- Balantidiidae
Balantidium coli infects the large intestine in humans and produces infective microscopic cysts that are passed in the feces, potentially leading to re-infection or infection of others. People who are immune-compromised are the most likely to experience more severe signs and symptoms. These include persistent diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal pain ...
- What Is Balantidium Coli?Balantidium coli is an intestinal protozoan parasite that causes the infection called balantidiasis. While this type of infection is uncommon in th...
- Where Is Balantidium Coli Endemic?Balantidium coli infection in humans is rare in the United States. Balantidium coli is found throughout the world, but it is most prevalent in trop...
- How Is Balantidium Coli Transmitted?Balantidium coli is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Humans can become infected by eating and drinking contaminated food and water that ha...
- What Are The Signs and Symptoms?Most people infected with Balantidium coli experience no symptoms. Balantidium coli infects the large intestine in humans and produces infective mi...
- Is There A Test For Balantidium Coli Infection?Yes. Stool samples can be examined by a laboratory. Microscopic examination can detect Balantidium coli in the stool.
- How Can I Prevent Balantidium Coli?Balantidium coli infection can be prevented when traveling by following good hygiene practices. Wash your hands with soap and warm water after usin...
Aug 25, 2023 · Presentation. Balantidium mostly causes asymptomatic and self-limiting infections. Clinical presentations of balantidiasis range from mild to severe symptoms. Asymptomatic hosts serve as reservoirs of infection in the community. Individuals with chronic infection usually present with diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and halitosis. [ 16, 17]
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Jan 5, 2022 · The ciliate Balantioides coli (syn. Balantidium coli) is the largest human parasitic protozoa, and can infect a wide range of hosts, with swine being the main reservoir. The parasite has a direct life cycle, with a vegetative form, the trophozoite, inhabiting the host intestine, and a resting cyst that is released into the environment in faeces.
Balantidium has a simple life cycle, as follows: dormant cyst to trophozoite and trophozoite to cyst. Transmission is direct, from a contaminated water or food supply to humans (Fig. (Fig.1). 1). No intermediate host, as occurs with many other parasitic species, is needed.
