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Giardia and giardiasis 2

Part 2 of 2
Published on May 29, 2025   20 min

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Other Talks in the Series: Neglected Tropical Diseases

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The majority of the infections remain asymptomatic in endemic areas. These asymptomatic carriers are considered the principal reservoir of infection there. Asymptomatic infections are often underreported. Here is data from a multicentric case-control study conducted in Asia and Africa showing the comparative prevalence rates of Giardia infection among diarrheal patients and healthy controls. The survey was done with children aged 0-59 months. Among all cases reported from Africa, 30.7% had asymptomatic infection while 22% were symptomatic infections. Among the 12-23 month age group, Giardia was detected at a higher percentage in healthy controls compared to symptomatic cases. Similarly, in Asia, the percentage of asymptomatic infections contributed more to the overall prevalence. 21.7% of infections reported were asymptomatic, while 15% of infections were symptomatic. Among Asian countries, children aged between 24-59 months presented a higher percentage of asymptomatic cases compared to the symptomatic ones. Despite the considerable burden and significance of asymptomatic giardiasis, it remains under-researched globally with only a few countries reporting asymptomatic infection. The graph shows the prevalence of asymptomatic giardiasis from different countries over the years. So far, Argentina has reported the highest prevalence of asymptomatic infections. We need more studies from various countries to enrich these datasheets.

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