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Giardiasis

Giardiasis (also known as beaver fever) is a disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Giardia lamblia (also Giardia intestinalis). The giardia organism inhabits the digestinal tract of a wide variety of domestic and wild animal species as well as humans. It is a common cause of gastroenteritis in humans, infecting approximately 200 million people worldwide. more...

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Giardiasis is passed via the fecal-oral route. Primary routes are personal contact and contaminated water and food. People who spend time in institutional or day-care environments are more susceptible, as are travelers and those who consume improperly treated water. It is a particular danger to people hiking or backpacking in wilderness areas worldwide. It is zoonotic -- communicable between animals and humans. Major reservoir hosts include beavers, dogs, cats, horses, and cattle.

Symptoms include loss of appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, loose or watery stool, stomach cramps, upset stomach, bloating and flatulence. Symptoms typically begin 1-2 weeks after infection and may wane and reappear cyclically. Symptoms are caused largely by the thick coating of Giardia organisms coating the inside of the small intestine and blocking nutrient absorption. Most people are asymptomatic; only about a third of infected people exhibit symptoms.

Antibiotics used to treat adults include metronidazole, albenzazole and quinacrine. Furazolidone and nitazoxanide may be used in children. Treatment is not always necessary, as the body can defeat the infection by itself.

Outside North America the drug Tinidazole trade name Fagisyn or Tindamax can treat Giardiasis in a single treatment of 2,000 mg. instead of the longer treatment of the other medications listed, with less distress due to the shorter treatment duration.

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New drug for parasitic infections in children - Updates - Alinia - Brief Article
From FDA Consumer, 5/1/03

The FDA has approved Alinia (nitazoxanide) for Oral Suspension to treat diarrhea caused by two parasitic infections--cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis--in children ages 1 through 11. Alinia is the first drug approved specifically to treat cryptosporidiosis, and it's the only drug in suspension form that is approved to treat giardiasis in this age group.

Cryptosporidiosis, an illness caused by the protozoan Cryptosporidium parvum, is characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, nausea, and vomiting. Infected people may experience no symptoms, acute diarrhea, or persistent diarrhea that may continue for several weeks. The disease can be prolonged or life-threatening in severely immunocompromised people, and has been associated with malnutrition, impaired growth, and death in children in developing countries. Giardiasis, caused by the protozoan Giardia lamblia, is characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating, weight loss, or malabsorption. Giardiasis has also been associated with impaired growth in children in developing countries.

To date, the safety and effectiveness of Alinia has not been established in people who are HIV-positive or immunodeficient. In studies of children not infected with HIV, the most frequent problems reported in association with Alinia for Oral Suspension were mild, and included abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and headache.

Alinia is marketed by Romark Laboratories of Tampa, Fla.

COPYRIGHT 2003 U.S. Government Printing Office
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

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