Giardia infection

Giardia, or giardiasis, is a parasitic infection of the small intestine. A tiny parasite called Giardia lamblia causes it.

Causes

The giardia parasite lives in soil, food, and water. It may also be found on surfaces that have come into contact with animal or human waste.

You may become infected if you:

• Are exposed to a family member with giardiasis
• Drink water from lakes or streams where animals such as marmots, beavers and muskrats, or domestic animals such as sheep, have left their waste
• Eat raw or undercooked food that has been contaminated with the parasite
• Have direct person-to-person contact in daycare centers, long-term care homes, or nursing homes with people who are infected with the parasite
• Have unprotected anal sex

Travelers are at risk of giardiasis throughout the world. Campers and hikers are at risk if they drink untreated water from streams and lakes.

Symptoms

The time between becoming infected and symptoms is 7 to 14 days.

Non-bloody diarrhea is the main symptom. Other symptoms include:

• Abdominal gas or bloating

  Bloating

  Abdominal bloating is a condition in which the belly (abdomen) feels full and tight. Your belly may look swollen (distended).

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• Headache

  Headache

  A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better...

  

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• Loss of appetite

  Loss of appetite

  A decreased appetite is when your desire to eat is reduced. The medical term for a loss of appetite is anorexia.

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• Low-grade fever

  Fever

  Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...

  

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• Nausea

  Nausea

  Nausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...

  

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• Weight loss and loss of body fluids

Some people who have had a giardia infection for a long time continue having symptoms, even after the infection is gone.

Exams and Tests

Tests that may be done include:

• Stool antigen test to check for giardia
• Stool ova and parasites exam

  Stool ova and parasites exam

  Stool ova and parasites exam is a lab test to look for parasites or eggs (ova) in a stool sample. The parasites are associated with intestinal infec...

  

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• String test (rarely performed)

  String test

  A string test involves swallowing a string to obtain a sample from the upper part of the small intestine. The sample is then tested to look for inte...

  

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Treatment

If there are no symptoms or only mild symptoms, no treatment may be needed. Some infections go away on their own within a few weeks.

Medicines may be used for:

• Severe symptoms or symptoms that do not go away
• People who work in a daycare center or nursing home, to reduce the spread of disease

Antibiotic treatment is successful for most people. These include tinidazole, nitazoxanide or metronidazole. A change in the type of antibiotic will be tried if symptoms do not go away. Side effects from some of the medicines used to treat giardia are:

• Metallic taste in the mouth
• Nausea
• Severe reaction to alcohol

In most pregnant women, treatment should not start until after delivery. Some drugs used to treat the infection can be harmful to the unborn baby.

People who take diuretics ("water pills") may need to stop taking these medicines if they have giardiasis. Never stop taking any medicine without first talking to your provider.

Possible Complications

These complications can occur:

• Dehydration (loss of water and other fluids in the body)

  Dehydration

  Dehydration occurs when your body does not have as much water and fluids as it needs. Dehydration can be mild, moderate, or severe, based on how much...

  

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• Malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract)

  Malabsorption

  Malabsorption involves problems with the body's ability to take in (absorb) nutrients from food.

  

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• Weight loss

  Weight loss

  Unexplained weight loss is a decrease in body weight, when you did not try to lose the weight on your own. Many people gain and lose weight. Uninten...

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When to Contact a Medical Professional

Contact your health care provider if:

• Diarrhea or other symptoms last for more than 14 days
• You have blood in your stool (unusual)

  Blood in your stool

  Black or tarry stools with a foul smell are a sign of a problem in the upper digestive tract. It most often indicates that there is bleeding in the ...

  

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• You are dehydrated

Prevention

Purify all water from streams, ponds, rivers, and lakes, or well water before drinking it. Use methods such as boiling, filtration, or iodine treatment.

Workers in daycare centers or institutions should use good handwashing and hygiene techniques when moving from child to child or person to person.

Safer sexual practices may decrease the risk for getting or spreading giardiasis. People practicing anal sex should be especially careful.

Safer sexual practices

Safe sex means taking steps before and during sex that can prevent you from getting an infection, or from giving an infection to your partner. These...

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Peel or wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them.

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