Giardia lamblia

What is Giardia lamblia?

It is a contamination of the small intestine caused by a parasite, it is also known as Giardia intestinalis. This infection is the main cause of gastrointestinal diseases.

Of these parasites, more than 15,000 cases of Giardiasis are calculated each year. When we speak at a global level, much more than 20% of registered cases are calculated.

There are two ways in which this contamination manifests itself, an active form called trophozoite, and an inactive form called cyst.

The trophozoite is characterized by sticking of the small intestine as a pacifier.

The trophozoite can not be outside the body for a long time, so it can not transmit the contamination to others. However, the cyst can live a long time outside the body.

Cysts are present in the stool of contaminated people. This infection is transmitted from person to person via food, and by other means of oral contamination.

Cysts can also live in water, for example; in Lagos and Rivers. Giardia is the most common form of parasitic infections transmitted by water.

Animals such as dogs and cats can be contaminated with Giardia, but there are still no statistics that tell how often animals infect humans.

Giardiasis has also appeared as outbreaks of water sources, such as in water parks and public swimming pools. In the pools you can easily contract by water, due to a person who has been contaminated from another place.

Treatment of Giardia lamblia

In many cases the Giardiasis it usually disappears on its own. If your illness is very serious and lasts a long time, doctors recommend antiparasitic drugs to fight the infection.

Doctors usually prescribe certain antibiotics how they can be:

1. The tinidazoleit is a very effective medicine and can fight Giardiasis with a single tablet.

2. The metronidazole, is an antibiotic that is taken in a period of 5 to 7 days. This medicine can cause nausea and has a very unpleasant taste.

3. The nitazoxanide, this can be an excellent option for children, it is available in syrup and is only taken for a couple of days.

4. The paromomycin, has the possibility of causing problems with pregnancy. Unlike other antibiotics, doctors recommend waiting for delivery before taking any of these medications, especially this one. The paromomycin is taken a couple of times in a period of 6 to 10 days.

How Giardia lamblia is transmitted

Giardia infection can be contracted in the following ways:

Water

As we said earlier, the transmission by water is the most common way of this infection. People who drink from rivers, ponds, can easily become contaminated. Another source of contamination may be the water used to wash salads or food.

This infection often occurs among people who travel to different places, and have to drink from a well or a river, which sanitation standards are not suitable for consumption.

The food

It is important to prevent this infection that food is made as carefully as possible. Since it is very rare that a person can get infected with this parasite, it prepares the food delicately.

If the food is prepared and the parasite is cooked well what causes the Giardia dies. Not like that, foods that are poorly cooked or poorly made, which can easily be carriers of this parasite.

By contact

The transmission by contact, occurs when traces of stool from an infected person are touched by another person. This can happen easily if someone when going to the bathroom, does not wash their hands well.

Contact transmission occurs frequently among families, day care centers, nursing homes, and via anal sexual transmission.