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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Antibodies to cysts of Giardia lamblia in primary giardiasis and in the absence of giardiasis.

The significance of serum antibodies binding to cysts of Giardia lamblia was evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence. Titers of 10 or higher were found in 85.6% of adults, who had probably never had giardiasis. Titers in 118 adults (geometric mean, 29.9) were higher than in 35 children (16.4), and titers in women (42.3) were higher than in men (20.0). Titers in 150 patients with primary giardiasis (80.4) were higher than in control adults, but overlapping precluded serological diagnosis. Titers increased with the duration of infection. Female patients had higher titers (100.5) than did males (66.1), but men who had been infected longer than 45 days had high titers (132). Titers in second serum samples taken from 26 patients 2 weeks to 3 months after successful nitroimidazole treatment (58.1) were lower than before treatment (151.7) but higher than in 118 controls. We conclude that most people have antibodies which cross-react with G. lamblia but which are induced by other immunogens and that primary giardiasis induces protracted systemic antibody responses.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Studies on the giardiasis as the zoonosis. II. Giardiasis in dogs and cats].

To obtain the basic data on the route of Giardia infection as zoonosis, we examined feces from 354 dogs and 34 cats for Giardia cysts and trophozoites and evaluated the detection rates. In addition, the feces of owners of the dogs infected with Giardia were examined. Giardia cysts and trophozoites were detected in 58 of the 354 dogs (16.4%) and 3 of the 34 cats (8.8%). Of the 61 animals from which cysts and trophozoites were isolated, 59 were purchased from the breeders and the other two animals had been kept for examinations in the research institute. None of the owners of the dogs had this infection. This result suggests that the possibility of human infection from contact with infected dogs or cats seems to be very low. However, attention should be paid to the possibility of cross-infection between men and animals, because it is not yet clear whether Giardia is strictly host-specific or not.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Giardiasis surveillance--United States, 1992-1997.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Giardia intestinalis, the organism that causes the gastrointestinal illness giardiasis, is the most commonly diagnosed intestinal parasite in public health laboratories in the United States. In 1992, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists assigned giardiasis an event code that enabled states to begin voluntarily reporting surveillance data on giardiasis to CDC. REPORTING PERIOD: This report includes data that were reported from January 1992 through December 1997. DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM: The National Giardiasis Surveillance System includes data about reported cases of giardiasis from participating states. Because most states were already collecting data on occurrence of giardiasis, the assignment of an event code to giardiasis has allowed voluntary reporting of these data to CDC via the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance. RESULTS: Since 1992, the number of states reporting cases of giardiasis to CDC has risen from 23 to 43. The annual number of giardiasis cases reported has ranged from 12,793 in 1992 to 27,778 in 1996. In 1997, cases per 100,000 state population ranged from 0.9 to 42.3, with 10 states reporting >20.0 cases per 100,000 population and a national average of 9.5 cases per 100,000 population. In 1997, New York State, including New York City, reported the highest number of cases (3,673, or 20.3 cases per 100,000 population), accounting for 14.5% of cases nationally; however, Vermont reported the highest incidence rate in 1997 (42.3 cases per 100,000 population). Both states have active surveillance systems in place for giardiasis. Cases have an approximately equal sex distribution. Nationally, rates were the highest among children aged 0-5 years, followed closely by persons aged 31-40 years. In these two age groups, most cases were reported during late summer and early fall--an indication that transmission occurred during the summer. INTERPRETATION: This report documents the first nationwide look at epidemiologic parameters and disease burden estimates for giardiasis in the United States. Transmission occurs in all major geographic areas of the country. The seasonal peak in age-specific case reports coincides with the summer recreational water season and might reflect the heavy use by young children of communal swimming venues (e.g., lakes, rivers, swimming pools, and water parks)--a finding consistent with Giardia's low infectious dose, the high prevalence of diaper-aged children in swimming venues, the extended periods of cyst shedding that can occur, and Giardia's environmental resistance. Estimates based on state surveillance data indicate that as many as 2.5 million cases of giardiasis occur annually in the United States. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Giardiasis surveillance provides data to educate public health practitioners and health-care providers about the scope and magnitude of giardiasis in the United States. These data can be used to establish research priorities and to plan future prevention efforts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Study of the incidence of giardiasis in Quebec (Canada) and association with drinking water source and quality].

BACKGROUND: We analyzed data from the notifiable diseases data base in Québec to document the incidence of giardiasis. The objectives were to perform a descriptive analysis of the cases of giardiasis and to verify the relation between their incidence and the quality of drinking water. METHODS: The Québec notifiable diseases data-base contained 4273 cases of giardiasis declared between January 1st, 1990 and December 31st, 1995. Incidence rates were adjusted for age and calculated monthly. The sources and kinds of treatment of drinking water permitted to elaborate a vulnerability scale for classifying contamination by Giardia sp. into four categories. Incidence of giardiasis was examined in relation with this vulnerability scale. Other socioeconomic indicators possibly associated with the incidence of giardiasis were also analyzed. RESULTS: Analysis showed that there were few annual variations in the incidence of giardiasis and that there were no epidemic peaks during the study period. According to age, the incidence follows a bimodal pattern with a peak for young children and young adults. The incidence rates showed an increase of the cases at the end of summer and at the beginning of fall, with a higher relative risk for males. Even if no relation was found between the incidence of giardiasis and the vulnerability of the drinking water source, incidence rates were lower for people living in communities that use the St. Lawrence River as a drinking water source than for those using other sources of surface water. CONCLUSION: This study allowed us to obtain a good description of the cases of giardiasis declared in Québec and to formulate hypothesis about their causes. The lower incidence of giardiasis in communities that use the St. Lawrence river as their drinking water source is possibly related to a lower contamination of this source. However, considering the limits of this work, case-control studies should be considered to understand variables, which influence the incidence of giardiasis in Québec.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Giardiasis in patients with dyspeptic symptoms.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of giardiasis in patients with dyspeptic symptoms. METHODS: Clinical records of consecutive patients who attended Gastroenterology Department at Aga Khan University Hospital from January 2000 to June 2003 and had esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with duodenal biopsies and international classification of diseases 9th revision with clinical modifications (ICD-9-CM) coded with giardiasis were studied. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty patients fulfilled the above criteria. There were 44% (96/220) patients who were giardiasis positive, 72% (69/96) of them were males and 28% (27/96) of them were females. There were 65% (81/124) males and 35% (43/124) females who were giardiasis negative. The mean age of patients with giardiasis was 28+/-17 years, while that of giardiasis negative patients was 40+/-18 years (P<0.001). In patients with giardiasis, abdominal pain was present in 71% (68/96) of patients (P = 0.02) and diarrhea in 29% (28/96) (P = 0.005); duodenitis in 25% (24/96) on EGD (P = 0.006) and in 68% (65/96) on histopathology (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Giardiasis occurs significantly in young people with abdominal pain, while endoscopic duodenitis is seen in only 25% of giardiasis positive cases, which supports routine duodenal biopsy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Giardiasis surveillance--United States, 1998-2002.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Giardiasis, a gastrointestinal illness, is caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis. REPORTING PERIOD: 1998-2002. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION: State, commonwealth, territorial, and two metropolitan health departments voluntarily reported cases of giardiasis through CDC's National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance. RESULTS: During 1998-2002, the total number of reported cases of giardiasis decreased from 24,226 for 1998 to 19,708 for 2001 and then increased to 21,300 for 2002. The number of states reporting giardiasis cases increased from 42 to 46; however, the number of states reporting more than 15 cases per 100,000 population decreased from 10 to five. A greater number of case reports were received for children aged 1-9 years and for adults aged 30-39 years compared with other age groups. Incidence of giardiasis was highest in northern states. Peak onset of illness occurred annually during early summer through early fall. INTERPRETATION: The increase observed for 2002 might reflect increased reporting after reporting of giardiasis as a nationally notifiable disease began in 2002. Transmission of giardiasis occurs throughout the United States, with increased diagnosis or reporting occurring in northern states. However, state incidence figures should be compared with caution because individual state surveillance systems have varying capabilities to detect cases. The seasonal peak in age-specific case reports coincides with the summer recreational water season and might reflect increased use of communal swimming venues (e.g., lakes, rivers, swimming pools, and water parks) by young children. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Giardiasis surveillance provides data to educate public health practitioners and health-care providers about the epidemiologic characteristics and the disease burden of giardiasis in the United States. These data are used to improve reporting of cases, plan prevention efforts, and establish research priorities.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Severe giardiasis in the United States.

Giardia lamblia is a common gastrointestinal pathogen but is not generally appreciated as a cause of severe illness. To describe the epidemiology of severe giardiasis, we reviewed data on hospital discharges from the United States and the state of Michigan and compared results for giardiasis with those for shigellosis. From 1979 to 1988, an estimated 4,600 persons were hospitalized for giardiasis annually in the United States; the incidence of giardiasis was 2.0 hospitalizations per 100,000 persons, compared with 2.4 hospitalizations per 100,000 persons for shigellosis. Rates of giardiasis were highest among children younger than 5 years old and women of childbearing age; the median length of hospital stay was 4 days (annual total, 23,238 days). Among residents of Michigan from 1983 to 1987, the average annual incidence of hospitalization was 1.4 per 100,000 persons for giardiasis, compared with 1.0 per 100,000 persons for shigellosis. Volume depletion was the most frequently listed codiagnosis (33.2%); 18.7% of children younger than 5 years old who had severe giardiasis had failure to thrive. Physicians should consider the diagnosis of giardiasis for persons with severe gastrointestinal illness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Effects of giardiasis on school success, weight and height indices of primary school children in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Giardia intestinalis, the most common parasite in the world, causes several adverse effects on school children, with the prevalence rate ranging between 7.3% and 28% (mean 13.8%) in Turkey. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible adverse effects of G. intestinalis on success at school, and the mean weight and height of primary school children in Sivas, Turkey. METHODS: Five primary schools from central Sivas, Turkey, had a number of students from different socioeconomic conditions and regions. The stool specimens were examined by light microscopy for giardiasis using saline-Lugol and/or zinc sulfate flotation method. Three groups in the present study include the symptomatic giardiasis group (SG), which included children with giardiasis along with abdominal pain and/or diarrhea, the asymptomatic giardiasis group (ASG) without any symptom and the non-parasitic (NPG) group without any parasites. RESULTS: While 599 (34.6%) out of 1730 children were parasitic, 192 (11.1%) had only G. intestinalis. Ninety-eight (5.7%) of 192 were SG (with diarrhea and/or abdominal pain and 94 (5.4%) were ASG. The weights and heights were lower in the children with giardiasis than the children without any parasite. There was a significant difference between the giardiasis group and NPG when the numbers of persons living in the house were compared. While there were no significant difference between the giardiasis group and NPG when the sexes were compared, success at school and economical levels were found to be significantly different between these groups. CONCLUSION: There was a higher prevalence of giardiasis in primary school children and their physical and mental conditions were affected adversely. Giardia infections in particular have adverse effects on success at school.

Body Height↗
PubMed1988

Crohn's disease is frequently complicated by giardiasis.

Giardiasis is a common infection, and many of its symptoms are similar to those of Crohn's disease. Despite a long discussion on the role of microbiologic agents in Crohn's disease, giardiasis has never been investigated. We studied giardiasis as assessed by the occurrence of cysts in 86 patients with Crohn's disease, in 82 patients with other gastrointestinal disease, and in 52 patients without gastrointestinal disease. In addition, in 20 patients with Crohn's disease the effects of metronidazole on giardiasis and disease activity were studied. Frequency of giardiasis was 61.6% in patients with Crohn's disease, 31.7% in patients with other gastrointestinal disease, and 5.8% in the control group (p less than 0.01). Stool frequency, disease activity, and humoral signs of inflammation in patients with Crohn's disease showed no relationship to giardiasis. All but two patients treated with metronidazole became free of cysts. Crohn's disease activity index decreased in 14 of 20 patients (p less than 0.05). In conclusion, giardiasis is a common finding in patients with Crohn's disease. Treatment of giardiasis can, in individual cases of Crohn's disease, result in a quick recovery from symptoms of high disease activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The relation between ABO blood groups, HLA typing and giardiasis in children.

A total of 455 children were chosen randomly and surveyed for giardiasis by stool examination using several techniques. A case control study design was adopted where 91 cases of giardiasis (symptomatic and asymptomatic) and 101 children giardiasis free were examined. ABO blood groups and HLA typing were investigated. It was concluded that blood group A was more susceptible to giardiasis especially asymptomatic form, while blood group B was less susceptible to giardiasis. On the other hand, there was no association between AB or O and giardiasis. But, there was a strong association between HLA A10, A11, B5, B7 and B17 phenotypes and symptomatic giardiasis and an association as well between HLA B7, B17, Bw14 and Bw40 and asymptomatic giardiasis.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1992

Gastric giardiasis.

AIMS: To assess the prevalence of gastric giardiasis in patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and to define the clinicopathological correlates of gastric Giardia lamblia infection. METHODS: Consecutive gastric biopsy specimens (n = 15,023) from 11,085 patients, taken at Feltre City Hospital (north eastern Italy) from January 1986 to December 1991, were histologically and immunocytochemically examined for the occurrence of G lamblia trophozoites. Three gastric biopsy specimens from patients harbouring G lamblia infection, who repeated endoscopy before treatment, were also examined electron microscopically. RESULTS: Forty one patients (0.37% of the population study) harboured gastric giardiasis. All patients underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy because of dyspepsia, epigastric pain, or abdominal distension. Only two patients had diarrhoea at the time of investigation. Giardiasis was clinically unsuspected in all cases, although the nine patients who also had duodenal biopsies performed had concomitant intestinal giardiasis. Gastric giardiasis was invariably associated with chronic atrophic gastritis. Intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa and Helicobacter pylori infection were found in 32 and 37 of the 41 patients with gastric giardiasis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The invariable association of gastric giardiasis with chronic atrophic gastritis, most often showing intestinal metaplasia and H pylori infection, indicates that a decreased gastric acidity is a prerequisite for localisation of G lamblia to the gastric mucosa. Though its possible role as a gastric pathogen remains to be elucidated, these findings suggest that trophozoites should be carefully searched for when examining gastric biopsy specimens showing chronic atrophic gastritis.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Investigation of clusters of giardiasis using GIS and a spatial scan statistic.

BACKGROUND: Giardia lamblia is the most frequently identified human intestinal parasite in Canada with prevalence estimates of 4-10%. However, infection rates vary by geographical area and localized 'pockets' of high or low infection rates are thought to exist. Water-borne transmission is one of the major routes of infection. Sources of contamination of drinking water include humans, domestic and wild animals. A previous study in southern Ontario, Canada, indicated a bivariate association between giardiasis rates and livestock density and/or manure use on agricultural land; however these variables were not significant when the variable 'rural' was added to the model. In that study, urban areas were defined as those with a minimum of 1,000 persons and a population density of at least 400 persons per Km2; all other areas were considered rural. This paper investigates the presence of local giardiasis clusters and considers the extent to which livestock density and manure application on agricultural land might explain the 'rural' effect. A spatial scan statistic was used to identify spatial clusters and geographical correlation analysis was used to explore associations of giardiasis rates with manure application on agricultural land and livestock density. RESULTS: Significant (P < 0.05) high rate spatial clusters were identified in a number of areas. Results also showed significant (P < 0.05) associations between giardiasis rates and both livestock density and manure application on agricultural land. However, the associations were observed in only two regions. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence that giardiasis clusters in space in southern Ontario. However, there is no strong evidence to suggest that either livestock density or manure application on agricultural land plays an important role in the epidemiology of giardiasis in the study area. Therefore these factors do not seem to explain the higher rates of giardiasis reported in rural areas. The spatial scan statistics methodology used in this study has an important potential use in disease surveillance for confirming or refuting cluster alarms.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Asymptomatic giardiasis does not affect iron absorption in children with iron deficiency anemia.

OBJECTIVE: Malabsorption of iron has been reported in children with symptomatic giardiasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate intestinal absorption of iron in children with asymptomatic giardiasis and iron deficiency anemia. SUBJECTS: Based upon results of blood hemoglobin and stool examination, two groups were established: asymptomatic giardiasis and anemia, and anemia without intestinal parasitosis (control group). Patients were aged 1-6 years. There was no difference in age, weight, height, or iron nutritional status between the asymptomatic giardiasis and control groups on admission to the study. MEASURES: Intestinal absorption of iron was evaluated using the iron tolerance test and the hemoglobin response to iron therapy. The serum iron tolerance test was based on the increment of iron level 2 hours after administering an iron load of 1 mg/kg of elemental iron in the form of ferrous sulfate, in comparison to the fasting iron level. Hemoglobin response to oral iron therapy was determined by the increment of hemoglobin on day 30 of therapy with ferrous sulfate (5 mg/kg/day of elemental iron). RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between the asymptomatic giardiasis and control groups with reference to the iron tolerance test (159.1 +/- 73.1 micrograms/dl and 154.5 +/- 76.5 micrograms/dl, respectively) and to the hemoglobin response to iron therapy (1.5 +/- 0.7 g/dl and 1.8 +/- 1.1 g/dl, respectively). The presence or absence of trophozoites of Giardia lamblia on duodenal aspirate did not affect intestinal absorption of iron. CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic giardiasis did not affect the intestinal absorption of iron and the hemoglobin response to oral iron therapy in iron-deficient anemic children.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Use of passive surveillance data to study temporal and spatial variation in the incidence of giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate temporal and spatial variations in the reporting of cases of giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis to a passive surveillance system, and to assess the relationship of those variations to source of drinking water, adjusting for socioeconomic variables. METHODS: The authors analyzed temporal and spatial patterns for 4,058 cases of giardiasis and 230 cases of cryptosporidiosis reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for 1993-1996. They linked each reported case to a database containing information on source of residential water supply and socioeconomic characteristics and evaluated the association between these factors and reporting rates using regression techniques. RESULTS: Reports of giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis were highest for the mixed unfiltered drinking water supply category. Reports of giardiasis were associated with income levels. Increases in reporting for both giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis were seen in summer to early fall. During a suspected outbreak of cryptosporidiosis n the city of Worcester in 1995, a significant increase in reported cases was also observed in the Boston metropolitan area. Following the suspected outbreak, weekly giardiasis rates increased slightly in Worcester and the Boston metropolitan area, while reporting of cryptosporidiosis increased dramatically. CONCLUSIONS: Consistently collected passive surveillance data have the potential to provide valuable information on the temporal variation of disease incidence as well as geographic factors. However, passive surveillance data, particularly in the initial period of surveillance, may be highly sensitive to patterns of diagnosis and reporting and should be interpreted with caution.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Giardiasis: association with homosexuality.

Giardiasis is a common gastrointestinal illness among travelers. Recently an increased prevalence of giardiasis in men who had not traveled outside New York City was seen at The New York Hospital and was found to be due to transmission of this disease among homosexuals. Cases of giardiasis for a 5-year period were then reviewed, and it was discovered that 19 male patients who had not traveled or had an immunodeficiency disease were homosexuals. This accounted for 22% of the adult men with giardiasis during that period. Adult women with giardiasis usually were either travelers or had an immunodeficiency disease (96%). It is important to obtain a sexual history in these patients and treat sexual contacts to prevent recurrent infection. Our findings are consistent with venereal transmission of giardiasis.

Adult↗