Symptoms:

Usually, the illness lasts about 2 weeks, but it can come back if treatment is not given.

Mild symptoms:

• Abdominal cramps
• Diarrhea
  • Passage of 3 - 8 semiformed stools per day
  • Passage of soft stools with mucus and occasional blood
• Fatigue
• Intestinal gas (excessive flatus)
• Rectal pain while having a bowel movement (tenesmus)
• Unintentional weight loss

Severe symptoms:

• Abdominal tenderness
• Bloody stools
  • Passage of liquid stools with streaks of blood
  • Passage of 10 - 20 stools per day
• Fever
• Vomiting

Note: In 90% of people with amebiasis there are no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

Examination of the abdomen may show liver enlargement or tenderness in the abdomen.

Tests include:

• Blood test for amebiasis (serology)
• Examination of the inside of the lower large bowel (sigmoidoscopy)
• Microscope examination of 3 stool specimens several days apart