Giardia Lamblie Parasite in Drinking Water

Giardia Lamblia is another dangerous parasite that can find it's way into our drinking water. People using water from untreated wells as well as hikers and campers using water from streams are always in danger from the potential for this parasite to be in wells or streams. Home water filtration systems can be used to eliminate the threat of giardia lamblie parasite in home drinking water. Portable water filters - such as water bottle filters - are available for people drinking water from lakes or streams while hiking or camping - or even travelling outside the home where the quality of the water may be in question.

Giardia Lamblia Parasites in Drinking Water: "Giardia Lamblia
Giardia has become more prevalent in the past few years as a waterborne disease, and a few large outbreaks that have occurred in the U.S. (3). Giardia are flagellated protozoa that are parasitic in the intestines of humans and animals (4). They have two stages, one of which is a cyst form that can be ingested from contaminated water. Once the cyst enters the stomach, the organism is released into the gastrointestinal tract where it will adhere to the intestinal wall. Eventually the protozoa will move into the large intestine where they encyst again and are excreted in the feces and back into the environment (4).

Once in the body, the giardia causes giardiasis, a disease characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, weight loss, and general gastrointestinal distress. These symptoms last for about a week, however some people can undergo a more chronic infection with similar symptoms and an even greater degree of weight loss (3). Giardiasis is rarely fatal (6), and can be treated medicinally by quinacrine, metronidazole, and furazolidone (3).

Giardia enters the water supply via contamination by fecal material. The fecal material can enter the water from:

Sewage discharged into the water via cross contamination of sewage and water lines
Sewage directly discharged from small sewage plants into lakes or streams
Sewage discharged into lakes or streams from cabin toilets
Animals carrying the cysts, depositing their fecal material directly into the water
Rainfall moving the cysts deposited from animals on the soil into a body of water (3).

Once in these water bodies, unsuspecting hikers or campers may drink infected water, exposing themselves to the cysts. Water from these lakes or streams may also be transported to municipal water supplies. If the municipal system uses sand filtration in addition to chlorination, the cysts should be removed. If chlorination is used without filtration, the chance for a giardia infection increases (4). It is estimated that 20-65 million Americans are at risk due to this lack of filtration of surface water (3,5). It has been suggested that 40-45% of giardia cases are associated with exposure to unfiltered water (4). Other sources of exposure include unsanitary conditions at day care facilities, exposure while traveling in developing countries, hikers or campers drinking infected surface water, and sexual practices involving fecal exposure (4).

If water is contaminated with giardia, it is possible to kill the cysts by simply boiling the water. If you are on a public water system, a notice will be sent out should coliform and giardia be present at unsafe levels. People on private water systems should not be concerned as most giardia is from untreated surface water; however there is a possibility that sewage lines from a septic tank may infect your water. Contamination from livestock waste may also be of some concern. If you are in doubt, it is possible to have your well water tested for bacteria and protozoa by laboratories in your area (2). "

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