Clinical Manifestations

·   Self-limitting

·   After an acute giardiasis, patients may heal ( with or without treatment), or become a carrier, or suffer from chronic infection and/or its complications

·   Acute giardiasis

-  Symptoms lasts for 4-5 days, flatulence, abdominal distension/cramps, nausea and anorexia, passage of foul-smelling and bulky stools and weight loss.

-  Faecal smear: watery/steatorrhoea; trophozoites seen in abundant

·   Carrier

-  Healthy

-  Faecal smear: positive for cysts with an abundant of mature cysts

·   Chronic giardiasis

-  Recurrent diarrhea and constipation, abdominal distension, malabsorption syndrome

-  Faecal smear: positive for cysts

·   Lactose intolerance

-  Symptoms: diarrhea; related to milk

-  Faecal smear: positive for cysts