In acute infection, duration of symptoms is 1-2 weeks. Diarrhea predominates in acute infection. Stools are greenish brown, and their consistency varies from watery to sticky. Occasionally, mucus is noted in the stools, but hematochezia is unusual. In chronic infection, duration of symptoms is greater than 1-2 months.
Abdominal pain is the more common complaint.
In children, pain is variable with regards to location, duration, and character. No specific findings are present on physical examination. General abdominal tenderness may be noted in some children. Blood tests Blood tests are usually normal. The usual method for confirming the diagnosis is examination of a permanently stained smear of fresh feces, preserved immediately, for the morphologic characteristics of D fragilis trophozoites.