Learn About Giardia Infection
Giardia, or giardiasis, is a parasitic infection of the small intestine. A tiny parasite called Giardia lamblia causes it.
Giardia; G. duodenalis; G. intestinalis; Traveler's diarrhea - giardiasis
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.
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
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Low-grade fever
- Nausea
- 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.
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.
Erie Family Health Center Inc
Frances Baxley is a Family Medicine provider in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Baxley and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Giardia Infection. Her top areas of expertise are Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Cramp-Fasciculation Syndrome, Giardia Infection, and Gas Bloat Syndrome. Dr. Baxley is currently accepting new patients.
Adventist Health Partners, Inc.
Asad Rafiq is a Gastroenterologist in Carol Stream, Illinois. Dr. Rafiq and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Giardia Infection. His top areas of expertise are Chronic Erosive Gastritis, Giardia Infection, Intestinal Cancer, Gastrectomy, and Gastrostomy.
Amaya Bustinduy is a Pediatrics provider in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Bustinduy and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Giardia Infection. Her top areas of expertise are Urinary Tract Infection in Children, Anemia, HIV/AIDS, Giardia Infection, and Endoscopy.
These complications can occur:
- Dehydration (loss of water and other fluids in the body)
- Malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract)
- Weight loss
Contact your health care provider if:
- Diarrhea or other symptoms last for more than 14 days
- You have blood in your stool (unusual)
- You are dehydrated
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.
Peel or wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them.
Summary: This study is a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial (RCT) aimed at evaluating the effects of Lactobacillus sp. probiotic administration on the vaginal microbiota changes in postmenopausal women with bacterial vaginosis and how its affect to immunology profile. Postmenopausal women diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis will be recruited as subjects as long as collected period in this study. All...
Published Date: March 16, 2024
Published By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Fleckenstein JM. Approach to the patient with suspected enteric infection. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 262.
Hill DR. Giardiasis. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 322.
Melia JMP, Sears CL. Infectious enteritis and proctocolitis. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 110.
Nash TE, Bartelt LA. Giardia lamblia. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 279.