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==Recognition==
[[Image:Giardia cysts.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Giardia'' cysts from gerbil faecea - H.D.A. Lindquist, U.S. EPA]]
[[Image:Giardia cysts.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Giardia'' cysts from gerbil faecea - H.D.A. Lindquist, U.S. EPA]]
[[Image:Giardia lamblia life cycle.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Giardia lamblia'' life cycle - Wikimedia Commons]]
[[Image:Giardia lamblia life cycle.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Giardia lamblia'' life cycle - Wikimedia Commons]]
[[Image:Giardia lamblia.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Giardia lamblia'' - Janice Carr]]
[[Image:Giardia lamblia.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Giardia lamblia'' - Janice Carr]]
[[Image:Giardia.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Giardia'' - Joaquim Castellà Veterinary Parasitology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona]]
[[Image:Giardia.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Giardia'' - Joaquim Castellà Veterinary Parasitology Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona]]
*Flagellate protozoa
*Found in the intestine of humans
*Associated with chronic [[Intestine Diarrhoea - Pathology|diarrhoea]]
*Foundin both wild and domestic animals
*15-20μm long
*Pear-shaped
*8 flagella
*Large adhesive discs to hold onto intestinal mucosa
==Life Cycle==
*Simple and direct
*Trophozoites attach to intestinal wall
*Reproduce by binary fission
*Form cysts of 10μm
**Cysts formed '''intermittently'''
**Immediately infective when passed in faeces
*Prepatent period of 5-6 days
==Pathogenesis==
*Commonest cause of protozoal [[Intestine Diarrhoea - Pathology|diarrhoea]] of man in the UK
*Common in domesticated animals
*Infections often asymptomatic in domestic animals
**Can cause cillous atrophy leading to malabsorption
**Infection can persist for weeks to months if not treated
==Epidemiology==
*Infection via direct oral-faecal route or through contaminated water source (water-bourne)
*Wild animals may act as a source of infection for humans
**E.g. Beavers
*Divided into 7 species
**''G. duodenalis'' most commonly infects humans
***Some subspecies are zoonotic
==Diagnosis==
*Faecal examination
**Cysts need to be distinguished from pollen grains and yeasts
*Cysts excretion is intermittent
**Faeces need to be collected over a 3 day period
*Cysts are '''heavy'''
**Needs higher density floatation fluids
**Do not float well in saturated sodium chloride solution
*Immunoassays
**Detecting cyst antigen in faeces
==Control and Treatment==
*Sanitation and hygiene
**Minimise risk of human infection
*Boil (or sterilise through other means) drinking water in regions of the world where drinking water may be contmainated
*Avoid uncooked foodstuffs
**Contaminated by washing
*Treatments
**Metronidazole
***Flagyl, Torgyl
**Fenbendazole
***Panacur
*[[Vaccines - WikiBlood|Vaccination]]
**Killed trophozoites
**Availbale in the USA for cats and dogs
**Decreases the excretion and viability of cysts
**Decreases environmental pressure