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What is giardiasis?Giardiasis (GEE-are-DYE-uh-sis) is a diarrheal illness caused by a one-celled, microscopic parasite, Giardia intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia). Once an animal or person has been infected with Giardia intestinalis, the parasite lives in the intestine and is passed in the stool. Because the parasite is protected by an outer shell, it can survive outside the body and in the environment for long periods of time. During the past 2 decades, Giardiainfection has become recognized as one of the most common causes of waterborne disease (found in both drinking and recreational water) in humans in the United States . Giardia are found worldwide and within every region of the United States. How do you get giardiasis and how is it spread?The Giardia parasite lives in the intestine of infected humans or animals. Millions of germs can be released in a bowel movement from an infected human or animal. Giardia is found in soil, food, water, or surfaces that have been contaminated with the feces from infected humans or animals. You can become infected after accidentally swallowing the parasite; you cannot become infected through contact with blood. Giardia can be spread by:
What are the symptoms of giardiasis?Giardia infection can cause a variety of intestinal symptoms, which include
These symptoms may lead to weight loss and dehydration. Some people with giardiasis have no symptoms at all. How long after infection do symptoms appear?Symptoms of giardiasis normally begin 1 to 2 weeks (average 7 days) after becoming infected. How long will symptoms last?In otherwise healthy persons, symptoms of giardiasis may last 2 to 6 weeks. Occasionally, symptoms last longer. Who is most likely to get giardiasis?Anyone can get giardiasis. Persons more likely to become infected include
Contaminated water includes water that has not been boiled, filtered, or disinfected with chemicals. Several community-wide outbreaks of giardiasis have been linked to drinking municipal water or recreational water contaminated with Giardia . What should I do if I think I may have giardiasis?See your health care provider. How is a Giardia infection diagnosed?Your health care provider will likely ask you to submit stool samples to check for the parasite. Because Giardia can be difficult to diagnose, your provider may ask you to submit several stool specimens over several days. What is the treatment for giardiasis?Several prescription drugs are available to treat Giardia . Although Giardia can infect all people, young children and pregnant women may be more susceptible to dehydration resulting from diarrhea and should, therefore, drink plenty of fluids while ill. My child does not have diarrhea, but was recently diagnosed as having giardiasis. My health care provider says treatment is not necessary. Is this true?Treatment is not necessary when the child has no symptoms. However, there are a few exceptions. If your child does not have diarrhea, but is having nausea, fatigue (very tired), weight loss, or a poor appetite, you and your health care provider may wish to consider treatment. If your child attends a day care center where an outbreak is continuing to occur despite efforts to control it, screening and treating children who have no obvious symptoms may be a good idea. The same is true if several family members are ill, or if a family member is pregnant and therefore not able to take the most effective anti- Giardia medications. If I have been diagnosed with giardiasis, should I worry about spreading the infection to others?Yes, a Giardia infection can be very contagious. Follow these guidelines to avoid spreading giardiasis to others:
How can I prevent a Giardia infection?Practice good hygiene.
Avoid water that might be contaminated.
If you are unable to avoid using or drinking water that might be contaminated, then you can make the water safe to drink by doing one of the following:
Avoid food that might be contaminated.
Avoid fecal exposure during sexual activity. If my water comes from a well, should I have my well water tested?It depends. You should consider having your well water tested if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions:
Tests used to specifically identify Giardia are often expensive, difficult, and usually require hundreds of gallons of water to be pumped through a filter. If you answered “yes” to the above questions, consider generally testing your well for fecal contamination by testing it for the presence of coliforms or E. coli instead of Giardia . Although tests for fecal coliforms or E. coli do not specifically tell you whether Giardia is present, these tests will show whether your well water has been contaminated by fecal matter. This fact sheet is for information only and is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health care provider. If you have any questions about the disease described above or think that you may have a parasitic infection, consult a health care provider. Revised Summer 2004 |
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Info CDC Home | CDC Search | CDC Health Topics A-Z This page last reviewed September 17, 2004 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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