A SURVEY OF AMEBIC INFECTION IN THE WONJI AREA OF CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

An epidemiological survey to characterize Entamoeba histolyrica/E. dis par isolates from 123 human subjects was carried out in the Wonji area of Central Ethiopia, where an increased incidence of amoebic infectio n has been reported. In a randomized, coproparasitological study, 93 ( 75.6%) of the subjects were found positive for at least one species of intestinal parasite: 14 (15.1%) harboured only one species and 79 (84 .9%) were infected with at least two species. In-vitro culture in Robi nson's medium revealed amoebic parasites in 52 (82.5%) of the 63 cases tested. Of the 29 amoebic isolates successfully stabilized, cloned an d characterized by Sargeaunt's electrophoretic technique, 27 (93.1%) w ere of E. dispar zymodemes (19 of zymodeme I, two each of zymodemes II I, V and XI, and one each of zymodemes X and XV) and two (6.9%) were o f E. histolytica (zymodeme XIII).