Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffOnce thought to be a harmless yeast, blastocystis is a parasite, a microscopic single-celled organism (protozoan). Many protozoans inhabit your gastrointestinal tract and are harmless or even helpful; others cause disease.
Whether blastocystis is the type of protozoa that causes disease is controversial. While many people who carry blastocystis have no signs or symptoms, the organism is also found in others who have diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. Because blastocystis often appears with other organisms, experts aren't sure whether it causes disease on its own or is an innocent bystander in this setting.
It's also possible that some people may be carriers of blastocystis and don't exhibit any signs or symptoms of infection, while other people are more susceptible to infection.
Many types of protozoans get into the intestinal tract through oral-fecal contact, such as occurs when a person doesn't wash his or her hands thoroughly after using the toilet before preparing food. No one knows for certain how blastocystis is transmitted, but experts suspect it's through oral-fecal contact. Experts do know that the prevalence of blastocystis increases in places with inadequate sanitation and poor personal hygiene.
- Coyle CM, et al. Blastocystis: To treat or not to treat... Clinical Practice. 2012;54:105.
- Blastocystis spp. Frequently asked questions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/blastocystis/faqs.html. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
- Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
- Zhang X, et al. In vitro culture of Blastocystis hominis in three liquid media and its usefulness in the diagnosis of blastocystosis. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. In press. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
- Leder K, et al. Blastocystis species. www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
- Oral rehydration solutions: Made at home. Rehydration Project. http://rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
- Travelers' diarrhea. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/travelersdiarrhea_g.htm. Accessed Oct. 5, 2012.
- Backer HD. Water disinfection for travelers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/water-disinfection-for-travelers.htm. Accessed Oct. 6, 2012.
- Watson JC, et al. Food and water precautions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/food-and-water-precautions.htm. Accessed Oct. 6, 2012.
- Handwashing: Clean hands save lives. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/. Accessed Oct. 6, 2012.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 24, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on