Giardiasis

Description

Giardiasis is a diarrheal illness caused by a microscopic parasite (Giardia intestinalis) that lives in the intestines of people and animals. Symptoms occur approximately 1 to 2 weeks after ingestion of the parasite and include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating, fatigue, weight loss, flatulence, anorexia, or nausea, in various combinations, and usually last more than 5 days. Fever and vomiting are uncommon. The parasite is passed in the feces of an infected person or animal. Transmission occurs from ingestion of fecally contaminated food or drinking or recreational water, from exposure to fecally contaminated environmental surfaces, and from person to person by the fecal-oral route.

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Occurrence

Giardiasis occurs worldwide.

Risk for Travelers

Risk of infection increases with duration of travel and is highest for those who live in or visit rural areas, trek in back country areas, or frequently eat or drink in areas that have poor sanitation and inadequate drinking water treatment facilities.

Preventive Measures

No vaccine is available and there is no known chemoprophylaxis. To prevent infection, travelers to disease-endemic areas should be advised to follow the precautions included in Health Hints for the Traveler.

Treatment

Effective antimicrobial drugs are available. Travelers should be advised that treatment recommendations are available in a variety of textbooks on internal medicine and infectious diseases, or that consultation with a travel medicine specialist is recommended.

Credits: National Center for Infectious Diseases