Prevention and Control | Giardia | Parasites (2024)

FAQs

Why is Giardia so hard to get rid of? ›

Giardia is a difficult parasite to get rid of because it's easy for your dog's environment to stay contaminated. If you don't take extra measures to deep clean your dog's space, she may need longer treatment.

Watery, sometimes foul-smelling diarrhea that may alternate with soft, greasy stools.

Occasionally, people with giardiasis will have long-term complications such as reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and recurring diarrhea that can last for years. Among children in particular, severe giardiasis may delay physical and mental growth, slow development, and cause malnutrition.

Recovery and management of Giardia in cats

In most cases it takes 3 to 5 days for the parasites to be cleared from the stool and 5 to 7 days for symptoms to resolve.

The most readily available disinfectant is bleach diluted 1:32 in water. Studies have shown this dilution to require less than one minute of contact time to effectively kill giardia cysts.

Natural treatment methods for giardiasis are usually quite inexpensive, with most health food stores having the black walnut or a bottle of grapefruit seed extract available for just a few dollars. Medicines such as Metronidazole are also quite inexpensive.

Children and adults who have giardia infection without symptoms usually don't need treatment unless they're likely to spread the parasites. Many people who do have problems often get better on their own in a few weeks.

Giardia can survive for several months in cold water or soil. Giardia can survive much longer in soil at colder temperatures than at room temperature.

People exposed to Giardia may experience mild or severe diarrhea (loose stool/poop), gas, stomach cramps, nausea (a feeling of upset in the stomach), or dehydration (loss of water in the body causing weakness of dizziness). Some people experience no symptoms at all. Fever is rarely present.

The Giardia lifecycle has two distinct phases: a vegetative trophozoite and an infective cyst that is resistant to harsh environmental conditions.

How do I get rid of Giardia permanently? ›

How is giardiasis treated? Many people with giardiasis have minor symptoms that go away on their own. You may not need treatment. If you have more severe parasite symptoms, your provider may prescribe an antibiotic with antiparasitic effect to kill the parasite.

Treatment for Giardia involves taking an antibiotic. Depending on the antibiotic given, treatment may be needed for only one day or for several days. In most cases, this is enough to eliminate the infection and its symptoms.

o At room temperature (around 25°C/77°F), Giardia can survive for approximately 1 week (7 days). o In a dry, warm environment that experiences direct sunlight, Giardia can survive for only a few days ^8,9.

Causes of Giardia in Cats

Cats are infected by the cysts by ingesting stool or contaminated soil (via grooming) or drinking contaminated water. Contaminated food is less often a source of Giardia for indoor cats but can be a source of infection for outdoors cats.

According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), animals infected with Giardia shed the parasite through cysts in their poop, which contaminates things the poop comes in contact with, like litter, cat beds, fur, and water.

When soap and water aren't available, you can use alcohol-based sanitizers. However, alcohol-based sanitizers aren't effective in destroying the cyst form of giardia that survives in the environment.

... In the present study, tap water had no lethal effect, but the vinegar destroyed the parasites as potassium permanganate did.

Disinfection efficiency – Hydrogen peroxide is generally an effective disinfectant. It is able to kill a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It is also effective at inactivating parasites such as giardia and cryptosporidium.

Lysol® and quaternary ammonium compounds (e.g., Parvosol®) are also reported to kill cysts effectively. Giardia cysts are susceptible to drying, so keep your environment as dry as possible.

Eat slowly and avoid foods that are hard to digest or may irritate your stomach, such as foods with acid (like tomatoes or oranges), spicy or fatty food, meats, and raw vegetables.

Does cinnamon get rid of parasites? ›

Fungi and Viruses. Cinnamon kills many disease-causing fungi and viruses Preliminary results from test tube and animal studies suggest that cinnamon oil and cinnamon extract have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-parasitic properties.

Giardia spreads easily and can spread from person to person or through contaminated water, food, surfaces, or objects. The most common way people get sick is by swallowing contaminated drinking water or recreational water (for example, lakes, rivers, or pools).

What is the treatment for giardiasis? Metronidazole (Flagyl) is the primary drug of choice. However, there are several other prescription medications that are effective. Over–the-counter medications, such as Pepto-Bismol or Kaopectate, should only be used after the evaluation and recommendation of a physician.

Fenbendazole is a common deworming medication used to treat Giardia. Another treatment option is an antibiotic called metronidazole. Your veterinarian may also use the two medications in combination.

Symptoms generally last anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. In people with weakened immune systems (e.g., due to illness such as HIV), symptoms may last longer.

Experimental studies have demonstrated that Giardia infection reduced both the severity and duration when probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei) were administered prior or simultaneous to the parasite.

On average, incubation period is 1-4 weeks. Symptoms appear between 7 to 10 days after exposure. Contagious period is highly variable, but can be months. It is most contagious during the diarrheal phase.

Diarrhea. Nausea or vomiting. Gas or bloating. Dysentery (loose stools containing blood and mucus)

Long-term complications of giardiasis may present 2 to 3 years following the infection. In some cases, they may last for a few weeks, and may be eliminated with anti-parasitic treatment, observations that have been reported for example in cases of myopathy and skin allergies.

When Giardia cysts are swallowed, they pass through the mouth, esophagus, and stomach into the small intestine where each cyst releases two trophozoites through a process called excystation. The Giardia trophozoites then feed off and absorb nutrients from the infected person.

What are the body forms of Giardia? ›

Giardia occur in two forms, the trophozoite and the cyst form. The trophozoite is the motile form found in the intestinal tract and the cyst form is the resistant stage responsible for transmission.

Long-term symptoms

– The survey shows that there was a connection between Giardia infection, abdominal pain and fatigue, Wensaas says. 46 per cent of the 817 Giardia sufferers surveyed were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A similar percentage had chronic fatigue symptoms.

Reinfection is common; likely due to the low infectious dose of only 10 cysts required to cause disease, the high volume of excretion of cysts from infected individuals (1-10 billion cysts/day), most infected individuals are asymptomatic, and the environmental hardiness of the cysts (lasting months).

Symptoms generally last anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. In people with weakened immune systems (e.g., due to illness such as HIV), symptoms may last longer. Healthcare providers can prescribe the appropriate antiparasitic medications to help reduce the amount of time symptoms last.

Eat slowly and avoid foods that are hard to digest or may irritate your stomach, such as foods with acid (like tomatoes or oranges), spicy or fatty food, meats, and raw vegetables. You may be able to go back to your normal diet in a few days.

If your symptoms are mild, you generally won't need treatment for giardiasis. Mild infections can go away on their own in a few weeks. If symptoms are severe or aren't going away, medicine can be used. Infected people who work at a daycare or nursing home may also be treated with medicine.

Giardia is a microscopic parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as giardiasis. A parasite is an organism that feeds off of another organism in order to survive. Giardia is found on surfaces or in soil, food, or water that has been contaminated with feces from infected humans or animals.

Can I get Giardia from my dog licking me? Fortunately, the risk of humans contracting Giardia from dogs is relatively low, but it can happen. Make sure to wash your hands after handling your dog's poop to reduce this low risk.

The cysts are a resting or dormant stage that helps the organism survive in unfavorable environmental conditions. These cysts are released with the bowel movements of infected humans or animals.

Can Giardia affect the brain? ›

“However, it is a far deadlier parasite that is found in warm fresh waters and infects the central nervous systems of their victims through the nasal passages causing lethal brain damage known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM),” said principal investigator Dan LaBarbera, PhD, associate professor of drug ...

Giardiasis (jee-are-DYE-uh-sis) is caused by the tiny Giardia parasite. The parasite attaches itself to the lining of the small intestines in humans, where it causes diarrhea and blocks the body's absorption of fats and carbohydrates from digested foods.

What is Giardia? Giardiasis is an intestinal infection in humans and animals caused by a microscopic protozoan. It is a simple one-celled parasitic species, not a worm, bacteria, or virus. The parasite occurs worldwide and is a common cause of "Traveler's Diarrhea" in people.