Giardia
Family: Hexamitidae This protozoan is regarded as the most common flagellate in the human digestive tract and is highly contagious. Giardia lamblia species complex. Human form - G. instestinalis Structure: The protozoan has a characteristic tear-drop shape and measures 10-15 µm in length. It has twin nuclei, an adhesive disk which is a rigid structure reinforced by supelicular microtubules. There are two median bodies of unknown function, but their shape is important for differentiating between species. There are 4 pairs of flagella, one anterior pair, two posterior pairs and a caudal pair. These organisms have no mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum , golgi, or lysosomes. Location: These parasites are located in the duodenum, jejunum and upper ileum. They swim free and rapidly in a spiral motion in the intestinal lumen but also attach, via their adhesive disc, to the intestinal epithelium. Reproduction: These protozoa reproduce by binary fission and attachment to a surface is required for this to occur. Feeding and Metabolism: The main food source, glucose is obtained by a process of diffusion or by pinocytosis. Like amoebae, they are aerotolerant anaerobes and require a reducing environment. Food reserves are stored in the form of glycogen. Glucose catabolism via the glycolytic pathway results in production of the end products ethanol, acetate and carbon dioxide. Life Cycle: Giardia have a simple direct life cycle. Cyst are taken in orally, usually via contaminated drinking water. The trophozoites excyst in the small intestine and may divide by binary fission. Trophozoites which are free in the lumen of the intestine can encyst and pass out with the faeces. The disease in Canada gained some notoriety a few years ago when there was and outbreak of Giardiasis in Banff National Park and the symptoms of the disease became known as Beaver Fever, so named because the untreated drinking water fed by mountain streams was thought to be contaminated by beavers infected with a human strain of Giardia. Thus Giardia is a good example of a zoonosis. Pathology: Patients harbouring this protozoan can be asymptomatic carriers or exhibit all or some of the following symptoms: diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain and weight loss. There is no blood loss associated with the diarrhea, however, the stool characteristically has a fatty consistency as a result of fat malabsorption. This occurs in heavy infections where attached trophozoites can cover much of the intestinal epithelial surface. This disease is not generally fatal. Pathogenicity. Although it has been frequently suspected that symptomatic and asymptomatic cases of giardiasis may be associated with strains of variable virulence, recent studies on the in vitro pathogenicity of Giardia stains isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients failed to demonstrate any differences in the isolates Ref. Diagnosis. The appearance of the characteristic Giardia cysts in the stool still remains the principle method of diagnosis. More recently the detection of salivary IgA antibodies to Giardia, has been shown to have a good correlation with the presence of cysts in the stools of children, and would appear to be much more sensitive than faecal examination. Ref Treatment. The drug of choice for the treatment of giardiasis remains Metronidazole (Flagyl), but quinacrin hydrochloride and furazolidone are also frequently used. However, drug resistance has been observed with each of these compounds. In addition, toxicity has restricted their use in women of child-bearing age and although less effective, furazolidone has been used preferentially for children as it is can be administered as a suspension. Nevertheless, this compound has been recognised by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. as both a mutagen and carcinogen and can no longer be used there. Although some of the benzimidazole drugs, specifically albendazole, are regarded as being a promising alternative treatment, recent clinical trials have demonstrated varying cure rates, from as low as 10% to between 62 to 95 %. It is thought that these drugs work by disrupting tubulin formation. More recently a peptide antibiotic, bacitracin, stabilized with zinc, has been shown to have a high efficacy against Giardia infections. In recent clinical studies all patients responded well to this treatment with final cure rates of over 94%. Side effects from this treatment were few. Tel Tofflemire Phoenix , AZ Connie wrote: > I am wondering. > They give dogs CS enemas for Parvo. > If treating for Giardia, wouldn't enema also be a better mode of > treating? > > > From: Tel Tofflemire <[email protected]> > Reply-To: [email protected] > Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 13:17:05 -0700 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: CS>Giardia > Resent-From: [email protected] > Resent-Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 12:10:06 -0800 > > > 8 oz is not much, but if that is all they have then take it > spareinly...like one table spoon 3 x a day.....8 oz 3x a > day probably wouldn't hurt except to flood the liver with > dead junk that could make them feel a bit like the flu for a > day or two... > I have read there is no known case of an over dose.. > Be Well > Tel Tofflemire > Phoenix, AZ > > Acmeair wrote: > > ah!, we have another convert. a friend, who has > been hearing my praises of CS, and is suffering > from a case of lingering giardia, just bought an > eight oz jar of 20 ppm CS. she asked about the > dosage, and i don't have a clue. she has it, as > does her 10 year old son.they've been thru the > anti-biotic routine with the AMA boys, to no > avail. would appreciate some help. have already > tried the archives. thanks , jim O+, S >
