Giardiasis

Thought, like any parasite, cannot exist without a compliant host - Bernard Beckett

Giardiasis
Giardiasis

image by: Universidad Boliviana de Informática UBI

HWN Recommends

Beaver fever sounds cute until you get it

It might be our national animal, but the beloved beaver doesn’t always love us back.

Whether he’s busy taking down your apple trees or building dams that flood your favourite farmland (I know all about this after a recent trip to Quesnel involving a tour over swampy, once viable fields with a shotgun toting friend), the oversized rodent can be a pest.

But he’s truly at his worst when you drink from the pond he’s been pooping in.

Giardia (or beaver fever as it’s commonly called) is a parasite passed along through feces — from beavers and other animals, including humans.

Though it can be transmitted hand to mouth, people are most commonly infected after drinking…

read full article

Resources

 Beaver fever sounds cute until you get it

It might be our national animal, but the beloved beaver doesn’t always love us back. Whether he’s busy taking down your apple trees or building dams that flood your favourite farmland (I know all about this after a recent trip to Quesnel involving a tour over swampy, once viable fields with a shotgun toting friend), the oversized rodent can be a pest. But he’s truly at his worst when you drink from the pond he’s been pooping in.

CDC

Giardia is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive outside the body for long periods of time and makes it tolerant to chlorine disinfection. While the parasite can be spread in different ways, water (drinking water and recreational water) is the most common mode of transmission.

eMedicineHealth

Giardia is one of the most common causes of water-borne diarrhea outbreaks. Sources of contaminated water include public facilities that improperly filter and treat water, water in developing countries, or rivers and lakes used by hikers. Overseas travelers and hikers are at a high risk for infection.

MayoClinic

Giardia infection is a waterborne infection and can be caused by parasites found in backcountry streams and lakes, as well as in municipal water supplies, swimming pools, whirlpool spas and wells. Giardia infection can also be transmitted through food and person-to-person contact. Giardia infections usually clear up within a few weeks. But you may have intestinal problems long after the parasites are gone. Several drugs are generally effective against giardia parasites, but not everyone responds to them. Prevention is your best defense.

MedlinePlus

You may become infected if you: •Are exposed to a family member with giardiasis •Drink water from lakes or streams where animals such as beavers and muskrats, or domestic animals such as sheep, have left their waste •Eat raw or undercooked food that has been contaminated with the parasite •Have direct person-to-person contact in day care centers, long-term care homes, or nursing homes with people who are infected with the parasite •Have unprotected anal sex

NHS

Giardiasis is usually treated successfully with antibiotic medicine that kills the giardia parasite. In most cases, medicines called metronidazole or tinidazole are used.

UpToDate

The Giardia organism is found in the feces of infected people and can spread because of poor sanitation or because drinking water or food becomes contaminated. It can also infect animals, such as dogs, cattle, and sheep, but it's not clear whether animals play a role in spreading the infection to humans.

Introducing Stitches!

Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!

Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.


Be the first to know when Stitches starts accepting users


Stay Connected