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The following text is from an archived Red Book® edition and may not reflect current recommendations or information. To view the current edition, click here.
Section 3. Summaries of Infectious Diseases
Blastocystis hominis Infections
Clinical Manifestations
Etiology
Epidemiology
Diagnostic Tests
Treatment
Isolation of the Hospitalized Patient
Control Measures
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS: The importance of Blastocystis hominis as a cause of gastrointestinal tract disease is controversial. The asymptomatic carrier state is well documented. Blastocystis hominis has been associated with symptoms of bloating, flatulence, mild to moderate diarrhea without fecal leukocytes or blood, abdominal pain, and nausea. When B hominis is identified in stool from symptomatic patients, other causes of this symptom complex, particularly Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum, should be investigated before assuming that B hominis is the cause of the signs and symptoms.
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ETIOLOGY: Blastocystis hominis is classified as a protozoan and has 3 distinct stages: vacuolar, which
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Red Book 2003 2003: 744-770.