▁exist ▁in ▁the ▁medical ▁and ▁public ▁health ▁spher es ▁concerning ▁their ▁importance ▁in ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁human ▁disease . ▁ ▁Research ers ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁their ▁treatment ▁may ▁be ▁complicated ▁by ▁differ ing ▁opinions ▁regarding ▁path ogen icity , ▁lack ▁of ▁reliable ▁testing ▁procedures , ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁reliable ▁treat ments . ▁As ▁with ▁newly ▁discovered ▁path og ens ▁before ▁them , ▁research ers ▁are ▁reporting ▁that ▁these ▁organ isms ▁may ▁be ▁responsible ▁for ▁ill ness es ▁for ▁which ▁no ▁clear ▁cause ▁has ▁been ▁found , ▁such ▁as ▁ir rit able ▁bow el ▁synd rome . ▁ ▁D ient amo eb a ▁frag ilis ▁ ▁D ient amo eb a ▁frag ilis ▁is ▁a ▁single - cel led ▁par as ite ▁which ▁inf ect s ▁the ▁large ▁int est ine ▁causing ▁di arr he a , ▁gas , ▁and ▁ab dom inal ▁pain . ▁An ▁Australian ▁study ▁identified ▁patients ▁with ▁sympt oms ▁of ▁I BS ▁who ▁were ▁actually ▁inf ected ▁with ▁D ient amo eb a ▁frag ilis . ▁Their ▁sympt oms ▁resolved ▁following ▁treatment . ▁A ▁study ▁in ▁Den mark ▁identified ▁a ▁high ▁inc idence ▁D ient amo eb a ▁frag ilis ▁in fection ▁in ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁patients ▁sus pected ▁of ▁having ▁g astro int est inal ▁ill ness ▁of ▁an ▁inf ect ious ▁nature . ▁The ▁study ▁also ▁suggested ▁special ▁methods ▁may ▁be ▁required ▁to ▁identify ▁in fection . ▁ ▁Bl asto c yst is ▁ ▁Bl asto c yst is ▁is ▁a ▁single - cel led ▁proto zo an