Amoebas

Boiling water for one minute will kill most types of disease-causing organisms, such as cholera, typhoid, salmonella, giardia, E. coli, and amoebas.

Amoebic dysentery is a type of diarrheal disease that affects millions around the globe annually. Passed around by contaminated water, amoebas get into people's intestines, causing bloody diarrhea. If left untreated, these single-cell organisms can eventually perforate the intestines, spread throughout the body and kill the host. As Rose Hoban reports, researchers are learning more about the amoeba's ability to outwit the body's immune system.