Monitoring the contacts of balantidiasis patients.īalantidiasis can be treated with tetracycline, metronidazole or iodoquinol.Some specific safeguards include the following: Preventative measures require effective personal and community hygiene. The first study to generate balantidiasis in humans was undertaken by Cassagrandi and Barnagallo in 1896. However, this experiment was not successful in creating an infection and it was unclear whether Balantidium coli was the actual parasite used. The first case of balantidiasis in the Philippines, where it is the most common, was reported in 1904. Currently, Balantidium coli is distributed worldwide but less than 1% of the human population is infected. Pigs are a major reservoir of the parasite, and infection of humans occurs more frequently in areas where pigs comingle with people. This includes places like the Philippines, as previously mentioned, but also includes countries such as Bolivia and Papua New Guinea.
