Amoeba Disease
Written by: Waheeda Sabir
According to the information provided by the Infectious Diseases hospital, Kabul city about 1829 patients infected with amoeba parasite were admitted only to that hospital and most of them were discharged from the hospital after diagnosing and advised medication but about 232 patients who needed more attention, were kept for essential treatment.
AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some amoeba patients and a physician about this disease.
Hameedullah, a resident of Farza district, Kabul province says: “I was suffering from dysentery and also faced anemia and I have no appetite. The physician diagnosed my disease the amoeba.”
Mariam, a resident of Nangarhar province says: “I am suffering from abdominal pain, nausea, dysentery, and fever. When they examined my stool, I have amoeba parasite.”
Doctor Muhammad Naim Akbary, an internist in Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kabul city says: “Amoeba is a parasitic disease that infects the large intestine. Symptoms of this disease are fever, abdominal pain, dysentery. If this disease is not treated, it could infect the liver, heart, and brain through the bloodstream.”
Mariam says: “eating unwashed vegetables caused me amoeba disease.”
Hamidullah says: “I was always drinking ditchwater and it caused me amoeba.”
Doctor Akbary says: “not observing hygiene such as eating food with dirty hands, eating unwashed fruits and vegetables, drinking contaminated water, the water of uncovered wells, seawater, and some other factors cause amoeba disease.”
How some people treat amoeba disease at home?
Noorullah, a resident of Shakardara district, Kabul province says: “I ate Achillea Millefolium and Harad but saw no good result.”
Raihan, a resident of Paghman district, Kabul province says: “we eat the mixture of aniseed and celery seed for the treatment of dysentery.”
Doctor Akbary says: "The patient of amoeba disease could not be treated by home medicines and herbs. They should treat such patients by the physician and take the medicines according to the prescription. The patient should avoid drinking contaminated water and he/she would drink boiled water and oral rehydration salts and wash hands after going to the toilet and before eating.”