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Giardia: Giardia Protozoa
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Giardia is a one-celled protozoal organism that is commonly found in pet and aviary birds. It lives in the small intestines (usually the duodenum) and is shed sporadically in the droppings. It may cause diarrhea, malnutrition and malabsorption in affected animals. In some birds, especially cockatiels, it may induce pruritis (itching), causing a bird to scream and pull feathers or dig at the skin with the beak. The skin of birds infested with giardia may appear dry and flaky. Most often, the underside of the wings, the insides of the thighs and perhaps the chest are plucked.
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Giardia is a protozoa that can infect a variety of animals besides birds, including man, dogs, cats, rabbits, deer, and wild rodents. Protozoa are microscopic multicellular organisms. These organisms can cause severe gastreointestinal disease in man and other mammals. In birds, the clinical signs are varied and will be discussed later. Transmission of the organism is via ingestion of infected fecal material, contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. Research has been inconclusive whether giardia can be transmitted from birds to humans.
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A Giardia cyst is a group of Giardia protozoa that has formed a protective protein shell around itself. Giardia cysts form inside the small intestine of the host and pass through the stool and into the environment. Giardia can be passed from dogs to humans through contaminated dog waste.
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As mentioned many dogs and cats carrying Giardia will never show signs of disease other than diarrhoea from time to time. Still more serious symptoms include drastic or steady weight loss, lethargy, changes in eating habits, and mucous in your pet’s feces. Since such symptoms are common amongst many gastro-intestinal diseases, proper diagnosis of Giardia requires a thorough and exhaustive review of your pet’s health. Confirming a diagnosis of Giardia requires that cysts or mobile versions of the protozoa are found in the stool of your pet but negative findings do not necessarily rule out Giardia. The protozoa are only passed in the stool occasionally and as a result multiple stool samples are often required. Usually, veterinarians will require at least 3 stool samples and the diagnostic process can take as much as 7 to 10 days.
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The genus Giardia contains multiple species of flagellated protozoans that are indistinguishable morphologically. Recent genetic analysis has revealed 2 major genotypes in people; assemblage A and assemblage B. These organisms are not usually found in dogs and cats in the United States. Dogs are most commonly infected with assemblages C and D and cats are most commonly infected with assemblage F.
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Giardia was initially named Cercomonas intestinalis by Lambl in 1859 and renamed Giardia lamblia by Stiles in 1915, in honor of Professor A. Giard of Paris and Dr. F. Lambl of Prague. However, Giardia intestinalis is considered by many to be the correct name for this protozoan. Different species of Giardia are structurally very similar. It was customary to give each Giardia a different name when it was found in a new host, and ... Giardia [I]n dogs was called Giardia canis; in cattle, Giardia bovis, and so on. Today scientists believe that only a few species occur, and each species can infect more than one host. However, more research is needed to identify each species and determine the hosts they can infect.
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Giardia Protozoa