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Food Borne Illnesses

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Food Borne Illnesses: Giardia

Alexa Glisson

SCI / 163

November 21, 2012

DR. Larry Bassman

Food Borne Illnesses
Alexa Glisson
SCI/ 163
November 21, 2012

Giardia

When generally thinking of parasites and food-borne illnesses, we tend to think about the poorest and dirtiest places on Earth. In reality, parasites can be found almost anywhere on this planet. One type of common food-borne illness is giardiasis or a giardia infection. This infection is in the intestine and caused by microscopic giardia parasites. The given the opportunity this vicious creature will infect anybody regardless of sex, age, living conditions, and body types. Surprisingly this is a zoonotic disease affecting not only humans but also domestic and wild mammals. There are several ways a person can contract this illness. The most common way to contract the illness is ingesting water that has been contaminated with animal feces. This is the reason we are constantly reminded never to drink water from a lake or stream that have not been purified. Given that many of undeveloped countries have little or no clean water, the majority of the cases of giardiasis affect children and adults in these third world countries. A person can also get infected by eating raw or undercooked contaminated food, touching something that has feces on it from a day care or nursing home environments, and unprotected anal intercourse. Once this parasite has found a home inside someone or something’s body it will take seven to 14 days for any symptoms to start showing. The most common symptom of this illness is watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, weight loss, stomach pain, loss of appetite, and fever. If these symptoms last more than a week, there is blood in the stool or if the infected person is dehydrated, the infected person should contact medical help immediately. Unfortunately, this parasite can prove to be fatal if left in the body untreated. If an infected person shows no sign of symptoms it is not uncommon for that person to receive no medicine, because sometimes the infection can clear up on its own. If a person does need medicine they are usually given some type of nitro imidazole drug in different doses suitable for that person. If the infected person is pregnant the recommended treatment is held off until after delivery because to harming effects of the treatment on the fetus. Outbreaks of giardiasis in the world and the United States are generally sporadic. New cases in the USA are recorded at about 500,000 a year. In Portland, Oregon, in October of 1954 there was an outbreak of gastroenteritis that leads to an increase of cases of giardiasis. This outbreak affected more than 50,000 people in that area and did not stop infecting people until the following March 1955. There are many way to prevent the spread and the infection of giardiasis. The best way to avoid this illness is too simply to not drink water from streams or lakes. If camping, backpacking or hiking, simply bring designated drinking water or bring the many tools available to purify non-drinking water. These tools can be as simple as purifying tablets to purifying machines. If cooking or working around raw foods, make sure these foods are cooked all the way through and any area the raw food had touched should be disinfected. If workings in a medical, caretaking, or childcare environment make sure everything in the environment that maybe infected is wiped down and disinfected. It can be very easy for children whom still are wearing diapers to get feces on the floor or toys others may play with. Another huge way to protect one self and others from giardiasis to wear a condom while participating in anal intercourse. These steps of prevention and precautions may seem simple but not everyone has the resources to take the measures. Sadly children and many adults in undeveloped countries do not have water systems that purify or transport water. A river or stream may be the only source of water for these people and if the people have no knowledge or have not been shown how to clean the water this parasite will continue infecting people day after day.

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