Giardia Flashcards
Where is giardia located in the body?
Small intestine, adheres in intestinal mucosa
What do giardia trophozoites look like?
8 flagella, 2 median bodies, bilaterally symmetrical, 15x10 microns
What does the giardia cyst look like?
12 x 6 microns, 2-4 nuclei, 2-4 median bodies, 1-2 axonemes
How does giardia feed?
Attaches with sucker disc, feeds by pinocytosis, contact digestion
Where do trophozoites reside?
Upper small intestine
Why do trophozoites encyst?
Dehydration, pass in feces to be consumed by another host
How does giardia spread?
Cysts pass from host, go into environment to be consumed by another host
What is the most common cause of giardia?
Drinking infectious surface water, outbreaks due to failure of water treatment
What is the main clinical sign of giardia?
Diarrhea, humans also get flatulence and abdominal pain
What are the acute signs of giardia?
Foul smelling diarrhea, mucous/greasy appearance, flatulence, rarely hematochezia
What are the chronic signs of giardia?
Intermittent diarrhea, weight loss, poor growth, poor appetite
What makes giardia hard to diagnose?
Small size, do not float well in sugar/salt, intermittent shedding
What floatation method should be used to diagnose giardia?
ZnSO4
What is the best way to diagnose giardia?
ANSWER THIS
What other types of tests can be used to diagnose giardia?
IFA, Giardia antigen test (works well!), Immunocard STAT, nylon thread test for humans
