Of the so-called nonpathogenic intestinal protozoa, Endolimax nana belongs to the ones least well described. Most data on E. nana have emerged from general surveys of intestinal parasites in selected cohorts and mostly in the absence of any particular focus on Endolimax. Hence, the genus of Endolimax remains largely unexplored in terms of morphology, taxonomy, genetic diversity, host specificity, and epidemiology. In this review, we seek to provide an overview of the work that has been performed on the parasite since the genus Endolimax was described by Kuenen and Swellengrebel in 1917 and suggest activities that may pave the way for a better understanding of E. nana in a clinical and public health context.
Keywords: Diagnosis; epidemiology; infectious diseases; protozoon; public health.