R epo R t o N a B a L a N t IDI as I s C ase IN a pe R so N LIVING WI t H HIV/ a ID s ( p LWH a )

Balantidium coli is a parasitic ciliate protozoan that affects pigs and nonhuman primates. It rarely affect humans, however it might become an opportunistic parasite in immunosuppressed hosts. Balantidiasis is the disease caused by ingestion of B. coli cysts. Infected individuals may present abdominal pain, headaches, asthenia, tenesmus, meteorism and diarrhea characterized by five or six bowel movements per day. This paper is the first to report the presence of B. coli in a person living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Brazil.