ROYAL-SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE MEETING AT MANSON-HOUSE, LONDON, 19 FEBRUARY 1998 - AMEBIC DISEASE - ENTAMOEBA-DISPAR, AN ORGANISM REBORN

Entamoeba dispar was described by Emile Brumpt in 1925, and was prompt ly dismissed as a synonym of E. histolytica by almost all his contempo raries. In the 1970s, however, evidence began to accumulate indicating that Brumpt may have been correct and E. dispar is now accepted as a distinct species. This review introduces the organism's history and br iefly summarizes what we currently know about its biology. The accepta nce of E. dispar has profound implications for our understanding of th e epidemiology of amoebiasis and, ultimately, may give us an insight i nto what makes E. histolytica a pathogen.