Balantidium coli Presence in Human Urine Sample: A Mere Coincidence or More

Abstract

Balantidium coli (B. coli) is a trophic ciliate of low virulence which can cause dysentery in humans. The organism is cosmopolitan in nature and can be found wherever pigs are present. Disease is mostly seen in developing countries, where water sources are frequently contaminated with porcine or human feces. B. coli can become an opportunistic parasite in individuals with immunosupression in urban environments, where pigs do not play a role in infection. The parasites can be easily identified by their characteristic morphology and rapid spiraling motility.