Giardiasis is an intestinal infection that is caused by Giardia duodenalis protozoa. It is prevalent in low-income areas, and it frequently manifests as flatulence and diarrhea with mucus. The disease is particularly prevalent among overseas tourists, wilderness adventurers, and daycare workers in the United States.
Though frequently asymptomatic, some individuals may lose weight or get dehydrated due to this illness. In many cases, treatment with antihelminthic or nitroimidazole drugs can cure the disease.
Epidemiology
Approximately 2% of adults and 8% of children in developed countries suffer from giardiasis, the most common enteric protozoal infection in the world. Additionally, an estimated 33% of indviduals in underdeveloped nations are plagued with this disease. As asymptomatic carriers, most cases remain unidentified in the United States, resulting in an estimated prevalence of 1.2 million cases.
In 2012, the CDC recorded 15,223 cases. Children up to the age of 4 were the most affected demographic, with the northwest US reporting the highest proportion of cases. Because of outdoor water activities, late summer and early fall have the highest prevalence. Protozoa are transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically by the consumption of contaminated food or water.
It can also be transmitted from person to person or, less frequently, from animal to person. An infected person can shed between 108 and 1010 cysts per day, although even 10 cysts can constitute an infectious dose.
Carriers of a subclinical illness are able to infect others. Populations at risk in the United States include international tourists, wilderness travelers, daycare workers, males who have sex with other men, and individuals who work with human feces.
Anatomy
Pathophysiology
The cause of giardiasis symptoms is not completely understood. Trophozoites use their ventral disc to cling to the gut wall. Researchers hypothesize that protozoa affect epithelial cell connections and brush border enzymes in the small intestine.
Patients affected may exhibit impaired gastrointestinal motility. The protozoa secrete lectins and thiol proteinases which are cytotoxic. This interaction increases permeability and lowers the capacity to digest saccharides.
Etiology
Giardia duodenalis is the protozoa that causes giardiasis. It is also commonly called Giardia intesinalis and Giardia lamblia. Cysts are released by infected animals into freshwater where they can remain infective for weeks or months. Only genotypes A and B are known to infect humans out of seven genetic assemblages (A-F).
Inadequate sanitation and hygiene have a crucial role in disease transmission. Today, daycares have become epicentres of the virus, primarily as a result of insufficient handwashing when changing diapers or handling such waste. In the intestinal tract, the cysts undergo excystation and then release trophozoites. Trophozoites are flagellated, pear-shaped protozoa which contain two nuclei.
Genetics
Prognostic Factors
Most cases of Giardiasis are asymptomatic and require no medical interventions. Antihelminthic drugs are prescribed to patients if they suffer from severe symptoms. Even severe cases generally present a good prognosis and undergo a rapid recovery after receiving medication.
Giardiasis is an intestinal infection that is caused by Giardia duodenalis protozoa. It is prevalent in low-income areas, and it frequently manifests as flatulence and diarrhea with mucus. The disease is particularly prevalent among overseas tourists, wilderness adventurers, and daycare workers in the United States.
Though frequently asymptomatic, some individuals may lose weight or get dehydrated due to this illness. In many cases, treatment with antihelminthic or nitroimidazole drugs can cure the disease.
Approximately 2% of adults and 8% of children in developed countries suffer from giardiasis, the most common enteric protozoal infection in the world. Additionally, an estimated 33% of indviduals in underdeveloped nations are plagued with this disease. As asymptomatic carriers, most cases remain unidentified in the United States, resulting in an estimated prevalence of 1.2 million cases.
In 2012, the CDC recorded 15,223 cases. Children up to the age of 4 were the most affected demographic, with the northwest US reporting the highest proportion of cases. Because of outdoor water activities, late summer and early fall have the highest prevalence. Protozoa are transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically by the consumption of contaminated food or water.
It can also be transmitted from person to person or, less frequently, from animal to person. An infected person can shed between 108 and 1010 cysts per day, although even 10 cysts can constitute an infectious dose.
Carriers of a subclinical illness are able to infect others. Populations at risk in the United States include international tourists, wilderness travelers, daycare workers, males who have sex with other men, and individuals who work with human feces.
The cause of giardiasis symptoms is not completely understood. Trophozoites use their ventral disc to cling to the gut wall. Researchers hypothesize that protozoa affect epithelial cell connections and brush border enzymes in the small intestine.
Patients affected may exhibit impaired gastrointestinal motility. The protozoa secrete lectins and thiol proteinases which are cytotoxic. This interaction increases permeability and lowers the capacity to digest saccharides.
Giardia duodenalis is the protozoa that causes giardiasis. It is also commonly called Giardia intesinalis and Giardia lamblia. Cysts are released by infected animals into freshwater where they can remain infective for weeks or months. Only genotypes A and B are known to infect humans out of seven genetic assemblages (A-F).
Inadequate sanitation and hygiene have a crucial role in disease transmission. Today, daycares have become epicentres of the virus, primarily as a result of insufficient handwashing when changing diapers or handling such waste. In the intestinal tract, the cysts undergo excystation and then release trophozoites. Trophozoites are flagellated, pear-shaped protozoa which contain two nuclei.
Most cases of Giardiasis are asymptomatic and require no medical interventions. Antihelminthic drugs are prescribed to patients if they suffer from severe symptoms. Even severe cases generally present a good prognosis and undergo a rapid recovery after receiving medication.
15 mg/kg per day intravenously or orally every 8 hours for 5 days
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513239/
medtigo
Giardiasis
Updated :
June 27, 2022
Giardiasis is an intestinal infection that is caused by Giardia duodenalis protozoa. It is prevalent in low-income areas, and it frequently manifests as flatulence and diarrhea with mucus. The disease is particularly prevalent among overseas tourists, wilderness adventurers, and daycare workers in the United States.
Though frequently asymptomatic, some individuals may lose weight or get dehydrated due to this illness. In many cases, treatment with antihelminthic or nitroimidazole drugs can cure the disease.
Approximately 2% of adults and 8% of children in developed countries suffer from giardiasis, the most common enteric protozoal infection in the world. Additionally, an estimated 33% of indviduals in underdeveloped nations are plagued with this disease. As asymptomatic carriers, most cases remain unidentified in the United States, resulting in an estimated prevalence of 1.2 million cases.
In 2012, the CDC recorded 15,223 cases. Children up to the age of 4 were the most affected demographic, with the northwest US reporting the highest proportion of cases. Because of outdoor water activities, late summer and early fall have the highest prevalence. Protozoa are transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically by the consumption of contaminated food or water.
It can also be transmitted from person to person or, less frequently, from animal to person. An infected person can shed between 108 and 1010 cysts per day, although even 10 cysts can constitute an infectious dose.
Carriers of a subclinical illness are able to infect others. Populations at risk in the United States include international tourists, wilderness travelers, daycare workers, males who have sex with other men, and individuals who work with human feces.
The cause of giardiasis symptoms is not completely understood. Trophozoites use their ventral disc to cling to the gut wall. Researchers hypothesize that protozoa affect epithelial cell connections and brush border enzymes in the small intestine.
Patients affected may exhibit impaired gastrointestinal motility. The protozoa secrete lectins and thiol proteinases which are cytotoxic. This interaction increases permeability and lowers the capacity to digest saccharides.
Giardia duodenalis is the protozoa that causes giardiasis. It is also commonly called Giardia intesinalis and Giardia lamblia. Cysts are released by infected animals into freshwater where they can remain infective for weeks or months. Only genotypes A and B are known to infect humans out of seven genetic assemblages (A-F).
Inadequate sanitation and hygiene have a crucial role in disease transmission. Today, daycares have become epicentres of the virus, primarily as a result of insufficient handwashing when changing diapers or handling such waste. In the intestinal tract, the cysts undergo excystation and then release trophozoites. Trophozoites are flagellated, pear-shaped protozoa which contain two nuclei.
Most cases of Giardiasis are asymptomatic and require no medical interventions. Antihelminthic drugs are prescribed to patients if they suffer from severe symptoms. Even severe cases generally present a good prognosis and undergo a rapid recovery after receiving medication.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513239/
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