Question

A person is suffering from a high fever but low pulse rate and is passing stools frequently. Which diagnostic test should be prescribed to confirm the disease
(a) WIDAL test for enteric fever
(b) WIDAL test for malaria
(c) HIV test for AIDS
(d) stool test for amoebiasis

Answer 1

A disease caused by a protozoan parasite that contains a cartwheel shaped nucleus in its infective stage of life cycle shows symptoms of high fever, low pulse, and bloody stools.

Complete answer:
Amoebiasis or amoebic dysentery is caused in the large intestine of humans by a microscopic and monogenic parasite called Entamoeba histolytica. It infects via contaminated water and food by house flies, cockroaches, etc as mechanical vectors. The intestinal mucosal lining was dissolved by histolycin released by trophozoites causing ulcers. People affected with amoebiasis show bloody stools, high fever.

Additional Information: - Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite belonging to the subphylum sarcomastigophora and class Rhizophora.
- Life cycle of this parasite has three distinct stages namely the trophozoite stage, precystic stage, and cystic stage
- Most active, motile, feeding and pathogenic stage of entamoeba is the trophozoite stage that lives in the mucosa and submucosa membranes of the large intestine. This is the infective stage of the disease.
- Histolycin released by the trophozoite dissolves the mucosal lining and causes ulcers in the large intestine. These ulcers contain lymphocytes, RBC, cellular debris, and bacteria.
- It forms an abscess in the wall of the large intestine ultimately leading to blood and mucus in stool. This condition is called amoebic dysentery or tropical amoebiasis.
- People who do not show symptoms of this disease are called carriers or asymptomatic cyst passers as their stool contains tetra nucleate cysts.
- Stool examination and detecting antibodies in the blood are diagnostic procedures to detect entamoeba histolytica.
So the correct answer is ‘stool test for amoebiasis’.

Note: Enteric fever is also called typhoid fever caused by salmonella typhi and symptoms include high fever, weakness, constipation, headache, and loss of appetite.
The patient affected with malaria shows symptoms like high fever with chills, headache, giddiness, profuse sweating, anemia, and splenomegaly.