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Symptoms usually begin one to three weeks after exposure and, without treatment, may last two to six weeks or longer. [4] Giardiasis usually spreads when Giardia duodenalis cysts within faeces contaminate food or water that is later consumed orally. [1] The disease can also spread between people and through other animals. [1]
Giardia (/ dʒ iː ˈ ɑːr d i ə / or / ˈ dʒ ɑːr d i ə /) is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing the disease giardiasis.
Giardia duodenalis, also known as Giardia intestinalis and Giardia lamblia, is a flagellated parasitic protozoan microorganism of the genus Giardia that colonizes the small intestine, causing a diarrheal condition known as giardiasis. [1] [2] [3] The parasite attaches to the intestinal epithelium by a ventral disc (syn.
Giardia lamblia is most common, but Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium spp., and other species have also been implicated. [13] [34] As a group, these agents comprise about 10% of cases in children. [24] [34] Giardia occurs more commonly in the developing world, but this type of illness can occur nearly everywhere. [36]
Most samples of backcountry water in the Desolation Wilderness in California have found very low or no Giardia cysts. [37] The infectious dose of giardia, however, is very low, with about 2% chance of infection from a single cyst. [41] Also, very few studies have addressed the issue of transient contamination.
Chemical treatment with halogens—chlorine bleach, tincture of iodine, or commercial tablets—have low-to-moderate effectiveness against protozoa such as Giardia, but work well against bacteria and viruses. UV light is effective against both viruses and cellular organisms, but only works in clear water, and it is ineffective unless ...
In 1955, UV water treatment systems were applied in Austria and Switzerland; by 1985 about 1,500 plants were employed in Europe. In 1998 it was discovered that protozoa such as cryptosporidium and giardia were more vulnerable to UV light than previously thought; this opened the way to wide-scale use of UV water treatment in North America. By ...
With correct treatment, most cases of amoebic and bacterial dysentery subside within 10 days, and most individuals achieve a full recovery within two to four weeks after beginning proper treatment. If the disease is left untreated, the prognosis varies with the immune status of the individual patient and the severity of disease.