Prevalence and species distribution of E.histolytica and E.dispar in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients

The objectives of this study were shed light to determine the prevalence and  differential detection of two species Entamoeba histolytica  (pathogenic ) and Entamoeba dispar (non pathogenic ) that were morphologically identical as both cysts and trophozoite in two different groups  , the first groups includes stools of fifty patient have diarrhea and abdominal pain  (symptomatic) and ninety five patient have no diarrhea and abdominal pain ( asymptomatic),   who attending the AL-alwya childhood Teaching Hospital and AL-zafaranyia General Hospital in Baghdad were collected during the period from the beginning of Jully 2011 to the end of May 2012. The polymerase chain Reaction (PCR) was used to identify the Entamoeba species, E.histolytica (pathogenic) and E.dispar (non-pathogenic) by amplification DNA sequences of two genes , cystein proteinase 5 (EhCP5) gene, present only in E. histolytica and Actin gene(Act) which is present in both E. histolytica and E. dispar. The Results showed that both parasites were presents in both groups of patients and the percentage of E. dispar was higher than E.histolytica in two groups symptomatic and   asymptomatic. In conclusion, it should not depend on direct wet mount technique identification of Entamoeba and it should be used PCR for exact identification of both species E. histolytica and E. dispar in the diagnosis of amoebic dysentery.