Epidemiology
It increases in conditions of crowding and poor sanitation. Rates of infection in military personnel and mental institutions is higher.
The true extent of disease has yet to emerge as most laboratories do not use techniques to adequately identify this organism. An Australian study identified a large number of patients considered to have Irritable bowel syndrome who were actually infected with Dientamoeba fragilis.
Although Dientamoeba fragilis has been described as an infection that is "emerging from obscurity," it has become one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal infections in industrialized countries, especially among children and young adults. A Canadian study reported a prevalence of approximately 10% in boys and girls aged 11–15 years, a prevalence of 11.5% in individuals aged 16–20, and over 20 had a lower incidence of 0.3%-1.9%.
Read more about this topic: Dientamoebiasis