Giardia and Giardiasis

Immune Response to Giardia duodenalis

“…The name lamblia was given to the species by Blanchard in 1888 (121). Giardia, a flagellated protozoan, inhabits the upper part of the small intestine of its host and has a direct life cycle.…”

“…They undergo mitotic division in the intracellular lumen; some will encyst to protect themselves and will be eliminated from the host in the feces. Cysts can survive for 3 months in water at 4°C (120,121). They are transmitted to a new host through contaminated water or food or by person-to-person or animal-to-person contact.…”

“…The clinical diagnosis of giardiasis is difficult since symptoms are nonspecific and resemble those of a number of other gastrointestinal ailments. Clinical features may range from diarrhea to constipation, nausea, headache, and flatulence (121,199). Moreover, the symptoms observed vary with the life cycle stage of the parasite.…”

Prevalence of Giardiasis among children in childcare centers in Kermanshah, Iran

“…The maximum percentage of infections was in August and July with 5.86% and 4.44% respectively. Since the unfavourable temperatture for G. lamblia cyst is less than 5 ºC and 62 ºC 3,35 and According to, Kermanshah city have maximum temperature about 37-45 ºC in summer and 0 ºC or less to 5 ºC in winter. This could be considered as one of the likely reasons frequency distribution of Giardiasis in during the summer months.…”

Detection of a Giardia lamblia coproantigen by using a commercially available immunoenzymatic assay, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

“…The symptoms of giardiasis in humans are extremely variable. Some people may present the asymptomatic form, others an acute or chronic diarrhea that can last for several months with malabsortion syndrome and weight loss 10,15 . G. lamblia is usually pointed as one of the causes of children's retarded growth and development 10 .…”