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Article: Giardiasis.
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- April 1, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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GIARDIASIS Giardia, a small protozoan, was first described in 1674 by Anton van Leewenhock, the inventor of the microscope. This parasite has been recently in the news, and the role of pets in transmitting it to people has been questioned. Giardia infections are not limited to humans. Dogs, cats, and other animals are known to have Giardia in their intestines. What's not known is if the Giardia in animals can be transmitted to humans. Studies have tried to show that the strain of Giardia that infect humans can also infect dogs and cats. Unfortunately, the results have been inconsistent, so we don't really know the role of animals in the spread of human Giardia. ...