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Background: Complicated malaria is a life-threatening condition characterized by high morbidity and mortality, demanding prompt diagnosis and treatment. Traditionally, Plasmodium falciparum has been regarded as the main cause of severe malaria, but Plasmodium vivax is increasingly recognized for its potential to cause severe complications. This study aimed to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of complicated malaria cases in Colombia in 2019. Methods: This retrospective, observational study reviewed medical records of confirmed complicated malaria cases diagnosed with a positive thick blood smear and at least one clinical complication. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the associations between complications and patient characteristics. Results: A total of 286 cases were analyzed, with 65.4 % caused by P. vivax, 29.7 % by P. falciparum, and 4.9 % by mixed infections. P. vivax was primarily associated with hematological and pulmonary complications, while P. falciparum was linked to hematological and hepatic complications. Multivariate analysis identified P. falciparum infection and male sex as risk factors for liver and kidney complications, while pregnancy significantly increased the risk of liver complications. Notably, the incidence of P. vivax-related complications has risen over time, surpassing P. falciparum in terms of severity. Conclusions: This study highlights the growing role of P. vivax in severe malaria, challenging its historically underestimated significance. The findings emphasize the need for re-evaluating clinical approaches and implementing targeted interventions, particularly in regions with shifting transmission patterns, to mitigate the growing impact of severe malaria and improve patient outcomes.

Background: Despite being preventable and curable, malaria remains a major economic and social burden, with 249 million global cases and 608,000 deaths in 2022. Although Plasmodium vivax cases have decreased globally, it still poses significant challenges, particularly in the Americas. In Colombia, P. vivax continues to be a major concern due to its wide distribution and recurrent nature. The objective of the study was to determine the temporal and spatial distribution and epidemiological behavior of P. vivax malaria in Colombia from 2000 to 2023. Methods: A comprehensive time-series study using official secondary data on malaria-associated morbidity and mortality in Colombia from 2000 to 2023. Temporal-spatial and population variables were analyzed, and the absolute and relative frequency measures of general and regional morbidity and mortality were estimated. Results: Overall, P. vivax cases decreased, but complications, mortality, and recurrences have risen. Colombia reported 2193,233 malaria cases, with P. vivax causing 60.1 % (1318,820 cases). Men were notably affected, constituting 62.9 % of cases. The most vulnerable age groups were 15–29 years (36.7 %) and 5–14 years (22.9 %). The Uraba-Bajo Cauca-Sinu-San Jorge region had the highest prevalence (51.1 %). Severe malaria resulted in 15,575 complications (1.1 % of cases), with 68 % being hematological. Recurrences totalled 327,067 episodes (24.8 % recurrence rate). Epidemics were observed in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2023, reflecting cyclical patterns. Conclusions: This 24-year study of P. vivax in Colombia reveals a high prevalence and widespread distribution of the disease, marked by unstable and varied endemic-epidemic transmission. While overall cases have decreased, there has been a concerning rise in complications, mortality, and recurrence rates. These findings underscore persistent challenges in managing and controlling P. vivax malaria and highlight the need for enhanced strategies to address these ongoing issues

We present a case of acute phase Chagas disease in a 40-year-old male patient from Vereda Buenos Aires, Municipality of Miraflores, Department of Guaviare. The patient attended the emergency department with fever, headache, asthenia, adynamia and dysuria. The blood smear and urinalysis were positive for symptomatic urinary tract infection, but negative for malaria. Five days later the diagnosis of acute phase Chagas disease was confirmed after a positive result for Trypanosoma cruzi. The patient was treated with nifurtimox and benznidazole, his contacts and risk areas were investigated, an active entomological community and institutional search was carried out, as well as in the reservoirs, finally, laboratory surveillance for possible cases of infection in the community was conducted. Five cases with similar symptoms were identified, but parasitological tests were negative. Health education measures were implemented to prevent the spread of the disease.

Background: Chagas disease (CD) is transmitted by vectors but can also be transmitted orally through contaminated food, drinks, or meat. The One Health perspective aims to understand the complex interaction between human, animal, and environmental health in controlling disease. This study analyzed risk factors and drew lessons from past outbreaks of orally transmitted CD to develop effective preventive strategies. Methods: A simultaneous mixed methods study was conducted. The study consisted of two phases: an ecological epidemiological analysis at the municipal level using secondary data spanning from 1992 to 2023, and semistructured interviews with health providers and policymakers at the national level in Colombia. The results from both phases were triangulated to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Results: A total of 64 outbreaks, infecting 302 individuals, were reported. Most of these outbreaks (89.2%) were classified as family-related, and they occurred most frequently during the months of April to June (46.6%). It is worth noting that a significant number of these outbreaks took place in municipalities that lacked vector control plans. Risk factors for oral transmission included the location of food preparation, poor housing quality, food preparation water source, the presence of vectors/marsupials, forest type, and climatic variables. Interviews conducted emphasized the importance of implementing outbreak plans and providing staff training to effectively address the issue. Conclusion: A One Health approach strengthening prevention, surveillance, case management and cross-sectoral collaboration is needed to control outbreaks and reduce transmission in Colombia. Preparedness plans and education of health professionals are also important. This study identified modifiable risk factors to guide public health interventions.

Colombia contributes 17% of all malaria cases in Latin America and the Caribbean and continues to have major health and economic costs. A propensity score-matched cost-of-illness study was conducted using an incidence-based approach focused on direct healthcare costs in 2019. The statistical analysis was designed to determine the economic burden attributed to malaria on the Colombian health system, a middle-income country with universal coverage. Propensity score analysis effectively adjusted for confounding, thus facilitating comparability between groups with and without malaria. Direct costs attributable to malaria were estimated using a bottom-up strategy using fractions attributable to the population. We used administrative databases containing patient-level information on the consumption of healthcare services and reports on healthcare spending published by the Colombian Ministry of Health. All expenses were reported in Colombian pesos and converted to US dollars. We show malaria imposes a significant economic burden on the Colombian health system. The most affected population is part of the subsidized regime, which assumes the greatest financial burden. The cost of complicated malaria far exceeds that incurred for uncomplicated malaria. Propensity score matching adjusted for significant differences in comorbidities between groups, allowing for the closest estimate of malaria-attributed costs in the country.

Introducción. La malaria, o paludismo, es una enfermedad de gran impacto en la población colombiana, que debe ser abordada desde el punto de vista del trabajo en equipo de instituciones para el intercambio de conocimiento. Objetivo. Analizar las interacciones de la Red de Gestión del Conocimiento, Investigación e Innovación en Malaria de Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un análisis de redes sociales que permitió identificar la proximidad entre los actores y el grado de conocimiento entre ellos; se observaron indicadores de densidad, diámetro, distancia media y centralidad de grado. El corpus documental para el estudio estuvo constituido por 193 documentos técnicos publicados entre el 2016 y el 2021, que fueron analizados empleando técnicas de procesamiento de texto mediante el lenguaje de programación R. La categorización de la red se realizó a partir de cinco variables: atención integral a pacientes, diagnóstico, epidemiología y sistemas de análisis de información en salud, política pública, y promoción y prevención. Resultados. El análisis de las interacciones indicó que la red la conformaban 99 actores, de los cuales 97 (98 %), mostraron más interés en la producción de conocimientos en epidemiología y sistemas de análisis de información en salud, seguido de la categoría de atención integral a pacientes con 79 (80 %). El 54 % de los actores llevó a cabo estudios de promoción y prevención, siendo esta la categoría de menor abordaje. Conclusiones. Este estudio contribuye al fortalecimiento de estrategias clave en la divulgación del conocimiento sobre la malaria en Colombia.

La malaria en Colombia tiene un comportamiento heterogéneo y variable, entre las regiones. Para establecer su comportamiento epidemiológico en la región del Caribe colombiano entre 1960 y 2019 se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo a partir de registros del Ministerio de Salud y otras fuentes secundarias. Se definieron variables epidemiológicas y se elaboraron medidas de frecuencia y tendencia central. Se registraron 155 096 casos. Las décadas con mayor número de casos fueron 1990-1999 (20,5%) y 1980-1989 (18,9%). El promedio de casos por década fue de 25 849,3. Los índices parasitarios más elevados se registraron en 1970 (3,3 por 1000 habitantes) y 1981 (3,9 por 1000 habitantes). La especie Plasmodium vivax fue la más frecuente y la mayoría de la carga por grupos de edad se registró en menores de 29 años, entre 2010-2019. La malaria presentó un patrón endemo-epidémico de baja y muy baja intensidad de transmisión, con una tendencia al descenso.

Background: Chagas disease is one of the leading causes of heart failure (HF) in Latin Americans, and there are limited data available that examine related costs of care for patients with HF. This study aimed to compare healthcare resource utilization and related costs for patients with HF, with and without Chagas disease. Methods: A prospective matched-cohort study comparing the healthcare costs for patients with HF with Chagas disease and care costs for patients with HF without Chagas disease was conducted between January 2019 and December 2019. Only direct costs have been estimated, including hospitalization costs, medications and other cardiovascular interventions, and clinical and laboratory follow-up for up to 1 year. Results: A total of 80 patients with chronic HF were included in the study. Of the 80 patients, 40 patients in the Chagas cohort and 40 patients in the non-Chagas cohort were matched for age, insurer and sex. From a social security system perspective, the total costs for the two cohorts during the study period were U$970,136. Specifically, the healthcare costs for the Chagas cohort were greater than the total healthcare costs for the non-Chagas group (U$511,931 versus U$458,205; p = 0.6183) Most costs were associated with hospitalizations (65.5% versus 59.6%), with averages of U$12,798.5 and U$11,455.1 per person in the Chagas and non-Chagas groups, respectively. In both the Chagas (51.6%) and non-Chagas cohorts (54.5%), causes of readmission unrelated to HF outweighed causes of readmission related to HF. High incidences of hospital admissions were observed during the rainy (cold) season for both cohorts Conclusions: Over a 12-month follow-up period, patients with chronic HF and Chagas consume as many healthcare resources as those with chronic HF and without Chagas. These data highlight the considerable and growing economic burden of HF on the Colombian health system.

Background: In Colombia, communities living in the Andean region are the most affected by Chagas disease due to the presence of the main vectors, the environmental and risk factors associated with house infestation. Triatoma venosa is classified as a secondary vector that is frequently found in the departments of Boyaca and Cundinamarca, but epidemiological information and its association with risk factors in domestic and peridomestic areas is unknown. The study aimed to evaluate housing and environmental characteristics associated with domestic and peridomestic infestation by T. venosa and a risk map was estimated. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in municipalities of Boyaca and Cundinamarca, Colombia. From March to July 2015, triatomine infestation screening surveys were conducted in 155 households. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate associations with the infestation and ecological niche modeling was estimated using environmental variables. Results: No statistical association was found with any of the housing variables in the adjusted multivariate analysis. However, in raw relationship infestation was associated with bushes

Objective: To quantify the costs of Chagas disease in Colombia from a societal perspective in 2017. Methods: A cost-of-illness analysis was carried out using a prevalence-based approach. Costs attributable to Chagas were estimated from a bottom-up strategy, using population attributable fractions. Indirect costs were calculated using the human capital approach. Results: The estimated total cost of diagnosed Chagas disease was US $13.1 million and included $5.7 million in direct medical costs, $1.5 million in direct nonmedical costs, and $5.8 million in indirect costs: absenteeism ($2.2 million), presenteeism ($3.1 million), and premature deaths ($515228). On average, people diagnosed with Chagas disease incurred $594 in medical expenses, and more than half of that expense was directly attributable to Chagas. The annual cost to society for a person with chronic Chagas disease was $4226. Conclusions: Chagas disease imposes a substantial financial burden on healthcare system and society. Economic cost of illness-related productivity losses is much more significant. Our research suggests that a health policy framework addressing as many of the social determinants of health as possible may be pivotal in containing social costs. Therefore, reducing this burden is not only the responsibility of the health system. Keywords: Chagas disease, Cost of illness, Costs and cost analysis, Health expenditures, Health care costs

La anisakiasis es una enfermedad parasitaria zoonótica causada por el consumo de pescados o mariscos crudos o poco cocidos infectados con nematodos de los géneros Anisakis, Pseudoterranova y Contracaecum. Se describe el primer caso de anisakiasis en Colombia y se resume la literatura médica disponible. Una mujer de 52 años de edad consultó por dolor epigástrico agudo de inicio abrupto, náuseas, vómitos, diarrea y urticaria después de consumir pescado. El examen físico reveló sensibilidad moderada en el epigastrio. El examen de laboratorio evidenció leucocitosis, en tanto que la radiografía simple y el electrocardiograma no reflejaron ninguna anormalidad. El diagnóstico se hizo mediante una endoscopia de vías digestivas altas, la cual reveló engrosamiento de la pared gástrica y un parásito en movimiento. Se encontró una larva de Anisakis y se la extrajo por endoscopia, lo que alivió el dolor de la paciente. Clínicamente, la anisakiasis puede presentarse como una enfermedad gástrica, intestinal, en otros sistemas o alérgica. El diagnóstico se hace con base en la elaboración del historial alimentario del paciente y la visualización directa de las larvas; el único tratamiento efectivo consiste en su extracción endoscópica.

Background: Identifying risk factors for Triatominae infestation is essential for the development of vector control interventions. Methods: To determine the intra- and peridomiciliary risk factors associated with triatomine infestation, a cross-sectional analytical study was carried out with random cluster sampling in two stages, which included the identification of risk factors by survey and direct observation, as well as the search and capture of triatomines. The detection of trypanosomes in triatomines was carried out by observing the rectal content and then by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: In 21 of the 207 houses inspected, 13 specimens of R. colombiensis and 19 specimens of P. geniculatus were found. Entomological indices included: dispersion 36%, infestation 10%, infection 65%, colonization 4.7%, density 15%, and concentration 152%. An association was found between the presence of Triatominae and the existence of branches and fissures in the floors, as well as with the presence of accumulated objects and with knowledge about Chagas disease. The risk of having triatomines in urban homes is 5.7 times higher than the risk in rural areas [confidence interval (CI) 0.508–67.567]; 6.6 times in houses with cracked soil (CI 0.555–81.994), 6 times in houses located near caneys (CI 0.820–44.781), and 6.16 times with accumulated objects (CI 1.542–39.238). Conclusion: Chagas disease is a complex problem that requires control based on the vector’s elimination or surveillance, which implies identifying species and their distribution, generating alerts, knowledge, and awareness in the population. It is necessary to intensify surveillance activities for the event, especially in changing aspects of Chagas diseases’ transmission dynamics, such as urbanization and the type of housing associated with the vector’s presence.

Background: Knowledge of severe malaria (SM) or complicated malaria is insufficient in all its components. The least known type is the one associated with Plasmodium vivax, compared to that caused by P. falciparum. The aim of this study was to provide a general overview of epidemiological information about the burden of SM, obtained from the National Public Health Surveillance System (SIVIGILA) for the period 2007–2020 in Colombia. Methods: A descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study of secondary information was performed via SIVIGILA. Results: There were 9881 SM cases among 1,060,950 total malaria cases in Colombia in 2007–2020: 9.31 SM cases per 1000 malaria cases. During this period, there were 7145 SM cases due to the following species: Plasmodium vivax, 57.6%; P. falciparum, 38.6%; severe mixed malaria, 3.2%; and P. malariae, 0.6%. The most compromised organ systems are the hematological system (54.9%), the liver (9.1%), the kidneys (4.2%), the lungs (1.9%) and the brain (1.6%). Conclusions: There has been a reduction in malaria incidence in Colombia in the last 10–15 years, but there has also been a strong increase in SM incidence. We suggest emphasizing the prevention of the onset of severe malaria, with the early and accurate diagnosis of plasmodial infection.

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Background: Economic burden due to premature mortality has a negative impact not only in health systems but also in wider society. The aim of this study was to estimate the potential years of work lost (PYWL) and the productivity costs of premature mortality due to Chagas disease in Colombia from 2010 to 2017. Methods: National data on mortality (underlying cause of death) were obtained from the National Administrative Department of Statistics in Colombia between 2010 and 2017, in which Chagas disease was mentioned on the death certificate as an underlying or associated cause of death. Chagas disease as a cause of death corresponded to category B57 (Chagas disease) including all subcategories (B57.0 to B57.5), according to the Tenth Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). The electronic database contains the number of deaths from all causes by sex and 5-year age group. Economic data, including wages, unemployment rates, labor force participation rates and gross domestic product, were derived from the Bank of the Republic of Colombia. The human capital approach was applied to estimate both the PYWL and present value of lifetime income lost due to premature deaths. A discount rate of 3% was applied and results are presented in 2017 US dollars (USD). Results: There were 1261 deaths in the study, of which, 60% occurred in males. Premature deaths from Chagas resulted in 48,621 PYWL and a cost of USD 29 million in the present value of lifetime income forgone. Conclusion: The productivity costs of premature mortality due to Chagas disease are significant. These results provide an economic measure of the Chagas burden which can help policy makers allocate resources to continue with early detection programs.

BackgroundHeterogeneity and focalization are the most common epidemiological characteristics of endemic countries in the Americas, where malaria transmission is moderate and low. During malaria elimination, the first step is to perform a risk stratification exercise to prioritize interventions. This study aimed to identify malaria risk strata in the ecoepidemiological regions of Colombia.MethodsThis was a descriptive and retrospective study using cumulative malaria cases in 1,122 municipalities of Colombia from 2010 to 2019. To identify the strata, the criteria proposed by PAHO were adapted. To classify the receptive areas (strata 2, 3, and 4) and nonreceptive areas (stratum 1), 1,600 m above sea level, ecotypes, main malaria vector presence, Plasmodium species prevalence and occurrence of malaria cases were used. The area occupied by the receptive municipalities, the cumulative burden, and the at-risk population in the regions were calculated.ResultsNinety-one percent of the Colombian territory is receptive to the transmission of malaria and includes 749 municipalities with 9,734,271 (9,514,243-9,954,299) million at-risk inhabitants. Stratum 4 accounted for 96.7% of the malaria burden, and cases were concentrated primarily in the Pacific and Uraba-Bajo Cauca-Sinu-San Jorge regions. Plasmodium vivax predominates in most of the receptive municipalities, except in the municipalities of the Pacific region, where P. falciparum predominates. Anopheles albimanus, An. nuneztovari s.l., and An. darlingi were the main vectors in receptive areas.ConclusionsIn Colombia, 91.2% of the territory is receptive to the transmission of malaria and is characterized by being both heterogeneous and focused. Stratum 4 contains the greatest burden of disease, with a relatively greater proportion of municipalities with a predominance of P. vivax. However, there is a low proportion of municipalities with P. falciparum mainly in the Pacific region. These findings suggest that the latter be prioritized within the malaria elimination plan in Colombia.

BackgroundColombia has officially adopted the parasite density levels of severe malaria established by the WHO (>50,000 parasites/μl). These values have been inferred from areas of high transmission in Africa and are not consistent with the dynamics of low and unstable transmission in Colombia. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the parasite density values observed in patients with severe malaria and their distribution in the different ecoepidemiological regions of Colombia.MethodsA retrospective and descriptive study of confirmed cases of severe malaria was conducted in endemic areas of malaria in Colombia over the period 2014-2017. Data were collected from secondary sources of the Subnational Programs of Malaria Prevention and Control. Person, place, and time variables were selected. The official definition of severe malaria was adopted, and compliance with these criteria was determined. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted with absolute and relative frequency measures, and the relevant statistical tests were applied.ResultsThe overall parasite density values in Colombia showed a geometric mean of 5,919 parasites/μl (95% CI: 5,608-6,248). By parasite species, the values were 6,151 (95% CI: 5,631-6,718) for Plasmodium falciparum and 5,815 (95% CI: 5,428-6,230) for Plasmodium vivax. The highest parasite density values were recorded in the Amazon ecoepidemiological region (8,177; 95% CI: 6,015-11,116), and the lowest values were recorded in the Andean region (5,026; 95% CI: 2,409-10,480).ConclusionsIn endemic areas of low and unstable malaria transmission in the Colombian territory, the parasite density levels observed in populations with severe malaria are lower than the officially established values. The parasite density criterion is not really a relevant criterion for the definition of severe cases in Colombia and it certainly not be used to make a clinical decision about the severity of the disease.

BackgroundDespite the adoption of campaigns to interrupt the main vector and to detect Trypanosoma cruzi in blood banks, millions of people are still chronically infected; however, the prevalence data are limited, and the epidemiology of Chagas disease has not been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Chagas disease in Colombia.MethodsA systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted to select all observational studies reporting the prevalence of Chagas disease in Colombia, based on serological diagnosis in participants of any age and published between January 2007 and November 2017. Pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using random-effects models. In addition, the I2 statistic was calculated.ResultsThe literature search yielded a total of 1,510 studies; sixteen articles with relevant prevalence data were included in the systematic review. Of these, only 12 articles were included for entry in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of Chagas disease across studies was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.0-4.0). A high degree of heterogeneity was found among studies (I2 > 75%; p < 0.001). The publication bias was not statistically significant (Egger's test, p = 0.078). The highest pooled prevalences were found in the adult population (3.0%, 95% CI: 1.0-4.0), pregnant women (3.0%, 95% CI: 3.0-4.0) and the Orinoco region (7.0%, 95% CI: 2.2-12.6).ConclusionsThe results indicate that the T. cruzi-infected population is aging, the adult population, pregnant women and that the Orinoco region (department of Casanare) have the highest prevalences. These results highlight the need to maintain screening and surveillance programs to identify people with chronic T. cruzi infections.

Etiological treatment of Chagas disease in chronic asymptomatic patients is still in debate and the adverse effects of traditional drugs are one of the main concerns in clinical practice. This study evaluated retrospectively the safety profile of benznidazole (BZN) and identified predictive factors for definite treatment interruption and development of severe reactions in adult patients treated with BZN in Colombia.Retrospective follow-up study conducted by review of medical records of adults with chronic Chagas disease treated with BZN in Colombia. A parametric survival analysis based on a generalized gamma distribution was used for assessing risk factors for treatment interruption. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to estimate the probability of severe adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Statistical associations were expressed as time ratios (TR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) respectively.In total 224 adults patients treated with BZN were included; 172 (76.8%) completed the standard therapy (60 days of treatment), 205 (91.5%) presented ADRs and 52 cases (23.2%) required treatment interruption. The predominant symptoms were: rash (37.9%), itching (33.7%), epigastric pain (26.4%), abdominal bloating (24.2%) and nausea (22.1%). ADRs were mild (57.4%), moderate (35.5%) and severe (7.3%). Time to treatment interruption was significantly shorter when using doses of BZN ≥ 6 mg/kg/day (TR 0.55; 95% CI 0.39-0.76), presenting severe ADRs (TR 0.12; 95% CI: 0.07-0.19) and eosinophilia (TR 0.68; 95% CI: 0.49-0.94). Female sex (aOR 3.98; 95% CI 1.56-10.16), dose of BZN ≥ 6 mg/kg/day (aOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.17-1.70) and presence of > 3 ADRs (aOR 6.47; 95% CI 1.24-34.34) were considered as risk factors for developing severe ADRs.Dose, severity of ADRs, eosinophilia and female sex were the main predictors for treatment interruption or severe ADRs. The potential implications of these findings are discussed.

Entamoeba histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii are the most frequent species described in human infection where E. histolytica is the only true pathogen. The epidemiology of this infection is complex due to the absence of a routine exam that allows a correct discrimination of the Entamoeba species complex. Therefore, molecular methods appear as the unique epidemiological tool to accomplish the species discrimination. Herein, we conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the frequency of Entamoeba species infections in a group of asymptomatic individuals from a rural area in central Colombia.A total of 181 fecal samples from asymptomatic children under 16 years old from the hamlet La Vírgen, Cundinamarca (Colombia) that voluntarily accepted to participate in the study were collected. The fecal samples were examined by light microscopy and DNA-extracted, subsequently submitted to molecular discrimination of E. dispar/E. histolytica/E. moshkovskii infection based on a multiplex PCR assay targeting the 18S rRNA fragment. To confirm the species description, twenty samples were randomly submitted to DNA sequencing of the aforementioned fragment. By direct microscopic examination, frequency of the complex E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii was 18.8% (34/181). PCR showed a frequency of 49.1% (89/181), discriminated as 23.2% (42/181) that were positive for E. dispar, 25.4% (46/181) for E. moshkovskii and 0.55% (1/ 181) for E. histolytica. Also, mixed infections were detected between E. dispar and E. moshkovskii at 4.42% (8/181) of the samples. Molecular barcoding confirmed the diagnosis depicted by the multiplex PCR assay.This is the first description of E. moshkovskii in Colombia and the second report in South-America to our knowledge. Our results suggest the need to unravel the true epidemiology of Entamoeba infections around the world, including the real pathogenic role that E. moshkovskii may have.