期刊名称：Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales
印刷版ISSN：0035-9173
出版年度：2016
卷号：149
期号：1
页码：88-89
语种：English
出版社：The Society
摘要：Giardia duodenalis is a parasitic protozoan with a global human infection burden of 250 million, and is therefore the largest parasitic cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. Though some cases are asymptomatic, giardiasis can be acute and chronic, with post-infection sequellae including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, obesity and type II diabetes. Importantly, Giardia is problematic in children under the age of five, causing ill-thrift and failure-to-thrive. In addition, diarrheal diseases including Giardia constitute the second-leading cause of mortality for this age category. Giardia has a direct life cycle, where infective, tetranucleated cysts are transmitted via the faeco-oral route, and then excyst in the duodenum into virulent, flagellated trophozoites. The prevalence of the parasite is also due to its wide host range, with zoonotic transfer from wild, livestock and domestic animal species to humans. Efforts continue to define the mechanisms of virulence and pathophysiology, as more research is needed to elucidate the relationship between host and parasite factors.
