Summary
Blastocystis sp. is an intestinal protozoa that was formerly
recognised as a yeast. However, it has since been classified in
the Stramenopile Kingdom. In addition to being observed in humans,
the disease has been diagnosed in a wide range of animals (mammals,
amphibians, birds, reptiles and arthropods). Extensive genetic heterogeneity
has been demonstrated. Blastocystis sp. subtypes 1 to 9 were
recently considered to be of zoonotic origin. While some suggested
that Blastocystis might play a pathogenic role in intestinal
disorders in humans, others reported that there was no correlation.
Furthermore, amoeboid forms of Blastocystis might be implicated
in pathogenesis. In spite of recent reports, earlier data on the
prevalence of the parasite suggest that blastocystosis could
have occurred sporadically or continuously in the past. It might
be speculated that in cases of zoonotic genotypes producing amoeboid
forms, Blastocystis sp. infection might rather be considered
a potential re-emerging zoonosis.
Keywords
Amoeba,
Blastocystis, Culture, Public health, Travel, Zoonosis. |