In article <19970830035501.XAA26884 at ladder02.news.aol.com> patalliro at aol.com (Patalliro) writes:
In article <19970830035501.XAA26884 at ladder02.news.aol.com> patalliro at aol.com (Patalliro) writes:
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>From: patalliro at aol.com (Patalliro)
>Newsgroups: bionet.parasitology
>Subject: Re: Giardia as a zoonosis (or not)
>Date: 30 Aug 1997 03:55:01 GMT
>Lines: 17
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>Xref: magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu bionet.parasitology:2686
> my doctor just
>told me that I probably have an infection from Giardia.
> could
>someone please tell me what Giardia is in taxonomy?
> I didn't drink
>water from any unusual sources, so I'm wondering how I could have gotten
>it.
> If it is Giardia, what species
>could it be?
> My doctor prescribed Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol)
>instead of antibiotics because I'm still nursing my child.
Girdia intestinalis (formerly G. lamblia) is a unicellular animal
(protozoa) that belongs to the group of the flagellates.
It lives in the intestine of humans and other mammals (beavers, muskrats,
domestic carnivores, even farm animals) although the source of infection for
humans is commonly another infected human.
The most common form of transmission is probably through water contaminated
with feces of an infected human (occasionally, of an infected animal).
Properly treated drinking water is not a source of infection but there are
other forms to acquire de infection. All of them depend on the fecal
contamination of water or other food. For example, an infected person who
has small amounts of feces around the anus or discharges small amounts of
feces while bathing in a swimming pool or a lake will contaminate the water.
Any other bather ingesting small amounts of such water may become infected.
Also, any food handler (hotdog vendor, cook, food server, house wife) who
is infected, goes to the bathroom, contaminates his/her hands with feces,
and comes back to handle the food without carefull washing his/her hands can
deposited resistent forms of Giardia on the food and pass them to whoever eats
the food. Finally, small courses of water that are contaminated with human
(or animals) feces and are use to water lettuces, tomatoes, or other
vegetables can alto take the parasite to your table.
Pepto-Bismol does not kill Giardia but only relieves some symptoms of the
disease. I wonder whether your doctor thought that you had giardiasis and
decided against it because he/she is not treating the infection. There are
specific medicines agasint giardiasis taht can be used in lactating women
(although others may de dangerous for the baby). I do not mention any drug
because I do not believe in automedication for people who do not have full
knowledge of the complete spectrum of activity of the medicine. If you have
any doubt about the treatment, you should talk with your doctor.
Sincerly,
Omar O. Barriga
