Application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the epidemiology of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar infections.

In this paper, we briefly summarize the latest information on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as an epidemiologic tool for Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar infections. This method which employs DNA template directly extracted from formalin fixed stool specimens offers a good promise for an accurate and reliable epidemiology of the two species. The assay is, sensitive enough to detect as few as five cysts in the stool sample, rapid and selectively differentiates E. histolytica from E. dispar DNA from stool specimens without the need for prior cultivation.