It is a common cause of diarrhea among hikers in wilderness areas, and travellers who drink water that has not been properly filtered, treated or boiled. Giardia cysts can be spread by water, food, or fecal-oral transmission between infected individuals.
Fecal-oral transmission is when contaminated feces particles are ingested. Contaminated water is a major source of the spread of giardiasis. Giardia cysts can survive in lakes, ponds, creeks and streams.
You can become infected if you drink or accidentally swallow water while you swim. You can also become infected by eating raw or undercooked food contaminated with cysts. Giardia can also spread from person-to-person in settings where there is fecal incontinence lack of control over bowel movements and poor hygiene, such as child care centers.
The risk is greatest for young children who are not yet toilet trained. These children can also spread the infection to other people in their families. Giardiasis may cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, gas, bloating, frequent loose and pale greasy stools, nausea, weight loss, and fatigue.
Symptoms start about 1 to 3 weeks after exposure to the parasite. Symptoms can last from 2 to 4 weeks or longer. Often you can be infected and have no symptoms. In some cases, symptoms can return after you have started to get better. Although rare, giardiasis may cause your body to have trouble absorbing nutrients. This can last for several weeks or months. Some people with Giardia infection can later develop difficulty digesting milk and milk products also known as lactose intolerance.
If you think you have giardiasis, see your health care provider for testing, advice and treatment. You may be asked to submit a stool sample for testing. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Leder K, et al. Giardiasis: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis.
Accessed Nov. Parasites — Giardia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Levinson W, et al. Intestinal and urogenital protozoa. In: Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. McGraw Hill; Jameson JL, et al. Protozoal intestinal infections and trichomoniasis. In: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. Millions of Giardia parasites can be released in a bowel movement of an infected human or animal.
Human or animal waste can enter the water through different ways, including sewage overflows, sewage systems that are not working properly, polluted storm water runoff, and agricultural runoff. Wells may be more vulnerable to such contamination after flooding, particularly if the wells are shallow, have been dug or bored, or have been submerged by floodwater for long periods of time.
If you suspect a problem and your drinking water comes from a private well, you may contact your state certification officer external icon for a list of laboratories in your area that will perform tests on drinking water for a fee. To kill or inactivate Giardia , bring your water to a rolling boil for one minute at elevations above 6, feet, boil for three minutes Water should then be allowed to cool, stored in a clean sanitized container with a tight cover, and refrigerated.
An alternative to boiling water is using a point-of-use filter. Not all home water filters remove Giardia. Filters that are designed to remove the parasite should have one of the following labels:. Prepared by Paul D. Swistock, Extension Associate. Let's Stay Connected. By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension.
View our privacy policy. Thank you for your submission! Removing Giardia Cysts from Drinking Water. This article describes proper treatment methods to remove Giardia cysts from drinking water.
What is Giardiasis? Preventing Giardiasis Detection of Giardia cysts is difficult and is usually not done until an individual becomes infected and is showing symptoms. Removing Giardia Cysts Removing Giardia cysts before they reach the tap usually involves disinfection to inactivate the cysts and filtration through a fine media to physically remove the cysts from the water.
Boiling Boiling is a simple, effective means of killing Giardia cysts and can also be used away from home on camping or hiking trips. Manufactured treatment devices Manufactured treatment devices also remove Giardia cysts. Other Disinfection Methods Some disinfection processes widely used in European water treatment plants are now emerging as a home treatment technology in the United States.
Ozone Ozone, a strong oxidizing gas, is injected into water and kills bacteria and Giardia cysts with less contact time than other disinfection processes. Ultraviolet Light UV Ultraviolet or UV light treatment systems pass water through a chamber housing a quartz mercury lamp. Bryan Swistock. Expertise Water wells, springs and cisterns Pond management Watershed management Water conservation Shale gas drilling and water Acid deposition.
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