Colonization may occur without development of disease. No specific mortality is associated with this enteropathogen. Morbidity related to acute infection is in the first 1-2 weeks of the disease with symptomatology predominated by diarrhea. Chronic infection occurs after 1-2 months of illness and is manifested by abdominal pain. The most common age in which infection has been reported in children is 5-10 years.
Stools are greenish-brown and their consistency varies from watery to sticky.
Occasionally, mucus is noted in the stools but hematochezia is unusual. In children, pain is variable with regards to location, duration, and character. There are no specific findings on physical examination. General abdominal tenderness may be noted in some children. The usual method for confirming the diagnosis is examination of a permanently stained smear of fresh feces that was immediately preserved for the morphological characteristics of D fragilis trophozoites.