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= Public Health Information =

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According to the Mayo Clinic, patients which have giardiasis (the disease caused by infection of the giardia parasite) may or may not show all or even any of the typical signs of infection. It known that a person can be a carrier of the parasite without signs, but the typical case will show at least some of the following symptoms (2010):
 * Fatigue
 * Belching with a foul taste
 * Watery or greasy stool or sometimes bad smelling diarrhea
 * Nausea
 * Weight loss
 * Abdominal cramps and bloating
 * Flatulence
 * Anorexia
 * Dehydration

Carol Turkington writes in the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine " Giardiasis is rarely fatal, and when treated promptly, antibiotics usually cure the infection " (p. 1613). Usually giardia infections clear up within two to six weeks ( Barbra Sheff,2004) ; however, patients may experience intestinal problems long after the parasites are gone. Another long lasting side effect can be the development of the inability to digest milk sugar, sometimes known as lactose intolerance. (Mayo Clinic, 2010)

According to the Journal of Environmental Health (1998), approximately two million Americans contract giardiasis every year. The most likely to contract the disease are children, individuals without access to safe drinking water, and people who engage in anal sex.

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