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Giardia: Parasites
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The trophozoite form of Giardia was first observed in 1681 by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in his own diarrhea stools. In 1915, the parasite was named in honour of Professor A. Giard of Paris. His observations were recreated, using a single lensed microscope of the kind used by Leeuwenhoek, by British microbiologist Brian J. Ford who showed how clearly one could view Giardia through a primitive microscope.[8]
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Giardia causes a medical condition known as Giardiasis. Infections may be asymptomatic or may cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, fever, vomiting and headaches. Immunocompetent individuals will usually recover from the illness within several weeks. However, immunocompromised individuals, such as HIV/AIDS or cancer patients, may be unable to remove the parasites from their systems and as a consequence, suffer debilitating illness and possible death.
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Diagnosis of Giardia in live birds is sometimes rather difficult. However, new technologies are expanding detection limits. Microscopic examination of fecal material, flotation tests, and trichome staining are general methods used for identification of trophozoites. Because of the intermittent shedding of the parasite, multiple samples must be examined before before the bird can be considered uninfected.
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Giardia parasites are moderately resistant to chlorine bleach. If you have no other options, you can attempt to disinfect water with unscented household bleach. Add two drops of bleach per litre (nine drops of bleach per imperial gallon) of untreated water. The treated water should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes prior to use. Double the amount of bleach if the water is cloudy.
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Using video microscopy, the researchers challenged Giardia attached to different surfaces with conditions of low and high tonicity. The researchers found that Giardia detached rapidly in response to both lowering and raising the tonicity, yet the parasite was able to adapt to a new tonicity after only a few minutes of exposure.
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[One] important finding, Sogin says, is that the genes that allow Giardia to evade the human immune response are organized differently than in other parasites. In the host intestine, Giardia eludes an immune system attack by shifting the proteins it displays on its surfaces. The genes for these surface proteins are scattered throughout the Giardia genome rather than found in clusters, as in other parasites.
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