Submitted by: Zahra Rehman

Reg No. : 2022-KIU-575

Course: Parasitology

Department: Animal sciences

What is Giardiasis?
Giardiasis is intestinal illness of caused by a parasite (microscopic parasite) called
Giardia intestinalis. People get giardiasis by drinking contaminated water may also
get sick from contaminated food, water or surfaces.

Who get giardiasis?

Anyone can get infected with this disease but children , foreign travelers, day care
staff and people and people using untreated water are at high risk.

Life cycle
Stage 1 .The Cyst
The cyst of giardia is hard and rigid ,resistant forms and carriers of disease.

Parasite escapes from the cyst in Excystation stage and emerges as trophozoite.
Excystation process occurs in small intestine where two trophozoites release from
each cyst. Through binary fission these trophozoites multiply

Stage-2. The Trophozoite

Encystation is process of forming cyst or become enclosed in capsule. When
parasite migrates to colon encystation occurs. The cyst stsge is commonly found
in non diarrheal feces, after passing stool it can spread from one person to
another.

Hosts
Giardia intestinalis has been isolated from the stools of beavers,cats, dogs and
primates

Beavers may b an important reservoir host for G intestinalis

Other Giardia species may inludr

G muris in rodnts

G agilis in amphibians

G psittaci and Gardea in birds

G microti in voles and muskrats

Giardia spreads easily from person to person or through contaminated food,

warer and surfaces

The most common way people infect is swallowing contaminated drinking water
or recreational water (lakes, ponds, pools)

Pathogenicity

Giardia intestinalis infection causes damage of enterocytes and loss of brush

border of epithelial cellsof intestine that leads to shortness of microvilli and
altered the epithelial barrier function
Etiology

It is caused by the flagellate protozoan Giardia intestinalis (formerly known as G

Lamblia). Through ingestion of infectious G lamblia cyst this infection is
transmitted.

The organism has known to have multiple strains with varying abilities to cause
diseases. Ingestion of more than 25 cysts results in 100% infection rate.

This pathology may cause

Abdominal pain

Aqueous diarrhea

Steatorrhea

Nausea

Vomiting

Weight loss
How is this parasite spread?

Giardia can infect humansas well as domestic and wild animals. It is paased in
feces of any infected person and contaminate food or water.

People may infected by accidently swallowing contaminated water containing

giardia and carry parasite in body from few weeks to a few months.

Parasite may also spread directly from one person to another especially in day
care centers and places where handwashing practices are not good

Symptoms

Diarrhea

Fatigue

Stomach cramp

Bloating or gas
Dehydration

Weakness\dizziness

Some people may have chronic diarrhea over several weeks or months

Symptoms may appear from 3 to 25 days after exposure usually appears within 7
to 14 days.