Giardia lamblia: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:04, 8 October 2019

A member of the Giardia species that causes intestinal disease (giardiasis) in humans and animals
Also known as beaver fever

Flagellated protozoan that infects the small bowel
Host specificity related to genotype ("assemblage")
- Assemblages A & B infect humans, but also numerous non-human hosts including primates, dogs, cars, cattle, sheep, deer, rodents, horses, and beavers
- Assemblages C & D affect dogs; E affects cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs; F affects cats; G affects rodents; and H affects marine vertebrates
Antigenic variation is determined by the variant-specific surface protein (VSP)
- Replaced every few generations

A cyst is ingested via fecal-oral contamination
In the small bowel, the cyst releases two trophozoites (free-living form) via excystation
Trophozoites multiply by binary fission
When they reach the large bowel, they encyst

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-* A member of the [[Giardia species]] that causes intestinal disease in humans and animals
+* A member of the [[Giardia species]] that causes intestinal disease ('''giardiasis''') in humans and animals
+* Also known as '''beaver fever'''
+== Microbiology ==
+* Flagellated protozoan that infects the small bowel
+* Host specificity related to genotype ("assemblage")
+** Assemblages A & B infect humans, but also numerous non-human hosts including primates, dogs, cars, cattle, sheep, deer, rodents, horses, and beavers
+** Assemblages C & D affect dogs; E affects cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs; F affects cats; G affects rodents; and H affects marine vertebrates
+* Antigenic variation is determined by the variant-specific surface protein (VSP)
+** Replaced every few generations
+== Life Cycle ==
+* A cyst is ingested via fecal-oral contamination
+* In the small bowel, the cyst releases two trophozoites (free-living form) via excystation
+* Trophozoites multiply by binary fission
+* When they reach the large bowel, they encyst
+== Epidemiology ==
+* Worldwide distribution
+* Numerous animal reservoirs, not fully understood how important they are
+* Cysts can survive several months in cold water
 {{DISPLAYTITLE:''Giardia lamblia''}}