What is the Difference Between Amoebic Dysentery and Bacillary Dysentery

The key difference between amoebic dysentery and bacillary dysentery is that amoebic dysentery or intestinal amoebiasis is caused by a single-celled microscopic parasite living in the large bowel, while bacillary dysentery is caused by invasive bacteria in the large bowel.

Dysentery is a painful medical condition or infection that is usually caused by parasites or bacteria. Dysentery is defined as diarrhoea in which there is blood, pus, and mucous in stool, normally accompanied by abdominal pain. It typically lasts for 3 to 7 days. There are two main types of dysentery: amoebic dysentery and bacillary dysentery. Both these types of dysentery mostly occur in hot countries.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Amoebic Dysentery  
3. What is Bacillary Dysentery
4. Similarities – Amoebic Dysentery and Bacillary Dysentery
5. Amoebic Dysentery vs Bacillary Dysentery in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Amoebic Dysentery vs Bacillary Dysentery

What is Amoebic Dysentery?

Amoebic dysentery or intestinal amoebiasis is an infection caused by Entamoeba histolytica, which is a single cell microscopic parasite living in the large bowel. This medical condition can present with mild or severe symptoms. The symptoms of amoebic dysentery include lethargy, loss of weight, colonic ulceration, abdominal pain, watery diarrhoea, or bloody diarrhoea. Sometimes this condition may be asymptomatic. The complications of amoebic dysentery can include inflammation and ulceration of the colon with tissue death or perforation that may result in peritonitis. Anaemia can also develop due to prolonged gastric bleeding. The cysts of Entamoeba histolytica can survive in the soil for months and up to 45 minutes under fingernails. The invasion of the intestinal lining causes bloody diarrhoea. However, if the parasite reaches the bloodstream, it can spread through the body, most frequently ending up in the liver, which causes amoebic liver abscesses.

The diagnosis of this condition is carried out through examination of stool under a microscope, biopsy, immunodiagnosis (enzyme immunoassay, indirect hemagglutination), antigen detection, molecular diagnosis (PCR), ultrasonography, CT scan, and MRI. Furthermore, amoebiasis in tissues is treated with either metronidazole, tinidazole, nitazoxanide, dehydroemetine, or chloroquine. On the other hand, luminal infection is treated with diloxanide furoate or iodoquinoline.

What is Bacillary Dysentery?

Bacillary dysentery is an infection caused by invasive bacteria such as Shigella, Salmonella, Camphylobacter, or E.coli in the large bowel. Bacillary dysentery can occur anywhere in the world. It is a significant problem in developing countries with poor sanitation regarding sewage and water supply. Moreover, it affects about 164 million people worldwide every year. On the other hand, it kills more than 1 million people per year. The symptoms of bacillary dysentery range from mild to severe, including diarrhoea, high fever, painful stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. The complications of severe disease include extreme inflammation, dilation (widening) of the large intestine and acute kidney disease.

This condition can be diagnosed through examination of stool cultures in selective media such as MacConkey’s agar, DCA (deoxycholate citrate agar), and XLD (xylose lysine deoxycholate) agar. Furthermore, bacillary dysentery can be treated by drinking plenty of water to prevent dehydration and taking antibiotics, IV fluids, and blood transfusion.

What are the Similarities Between Amoebic Dysentery and Bacillary Dysentery?

• Amoebic dysentery and bacillary dysentery are two main types of dysentery.
• Both types of dysentery occur mostly in hot countries.
• They are gastrointestinal infections by microorganisms.
• They are characterized by watery or bloody diarrhoea.
• Both kinds of dysentery may have similar symptoms, such abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, etc.
• They can be diagnosed through examination of stool cultures.

What is the Difference Between Amoebic Dysentery and Bacillary Dysentery?

Amoebic dysentery or intestinal amoebiasis is caused by a single-celled microscopic parasite living in the large bowel, while bacillary dysentery is caused by invasive bacteria in the large bowel. Thus, this is the key difference between amoebic dysentery and bacillary dysentery. Furthermore, amoebic dysentery affects about 480 million people worldwide every year and kills 40000 to 110000 people per year. On the other hand, bacillary dysentery affects about 164 million people worldwide every year and kills more than 1 million people per year.

The below infographic presents the differences between amoebic dysentery and bacillary dysentery in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Amoebic Dysentery vs Bacillary Dysentery

Amoebic dysentery and bacillary dysentery are two main types of dysentery. Amoebic dysentery is caused by a single-celled microscopic parasite living in the large bowel, while bacillary dysentery is caused by invasive bacteria in the large bowel. So, this is the key difference between amoebic dysentery and bacillary dysentery. Both conditions are characterized by watery or bloody diarrhoea with similar symptoms such as abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, etc.

Reference:

1. “Bacillary Dysentery.” Centre for Health Protection.
2. “Amebic Dysentery.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Entamoeba histolytica life cycle-en” By Mariana Ruiz Villarreal LadyofHats  (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Gram negative Shigella sonnei bacteria which spent 48 hours cultured on Hektoen enteric agar” (Public Domain) via Picryl