[Parasitic amoebae and amoebo-flagellates from the Lobosea and heterolobosea classes]. / Parazitichekie ameby i ameboflagelliaty klassov Lobosea i Heterolobosea.

ABSTRACT

Different cited evidences on parasitic amoebae and amoebo-flagellates belonging to the Lobosea and Heterolobosea classes (Pages, 1987) have been reviewed. Special attention is paid to various degree of their adaptation to parasitic mode of life, which ranges from a parasitism on a border with commensalism to true parasitism (both facultative and obligatory ones). Besides the coprophilous and commensal species, the number of true parasites among the Lobosea and Heterolobosea classes is comparatively small. In many cases, both facultative and obligatory parasites cause the death of their hosts. Apparently this strongly pronounced pathogenicity of parasitic amoebae and amoebo-flagellates suggest a recent origin of such parasite-host systems. Pathogens of amoebic dysentry, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis are specially considered. In the Russian text-books on a parasitology the information on most of them, except Entamoeba hystolytica, is either totally absent or very scare and out of date.