Parasite emerges as suspect in IBS.

Australian Doctor,  September, 2006  

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By Rebecca Jenkins

A PARASITE -- thought for decades to be non-pathogenic -- is emerging as an important player in intestinal disorders and could be a factor in irritable bowel syndrome, experts suggest.

First described in 1918, the protozoan Dientamoeba fragilis was thought to be non-pathogenic because it fed on bacteria in the gut, not human tissue, experts said in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (29August).

But mounting evidence left little doubt of its role in GI disease and its ability to cause diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping.

"In some cases ...

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