Giardiasis

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Digestive system

Digestive system organs

Giardiasis

Institutional hygiene

Giardia; Traveler's diarrhea - giardiasis

Some infections resolve on their own. Anti-infective agents such as metronidazole (Flagyl, Protostat) or quinacrine may be used. Furazolidone (Furoxone) is generally used to treat children. Cure rates are generally greater than 80%. Drug resistance may be a factor in treatment failures, sometimes requiring a change in antibiotic therapy.

In pregnant women, treatment should wait until after delivery, because some of the drugs used to treat the infection can be harmful to the fetus. For severe symptoms, paromycin can be used with caution..

Spontaneous resolution is common, but persistent infections have been reported and require further antibiotic treatment. Some people who have had Giardia infections for a long time are slow to resolve their symptoms even after the infection has gone.

• Dehydration
• Malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract)
• Weight loss

Call your health care provider if diarrhea or other symptoms persist beyond 14 days, or if blood in the stool or dehydration occur.

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Angelique Green, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, UCSF School of Medicine, Director of Urgent Care Center, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.