Giardia; Traveler's diarrhea - giardiasis
Some infections go away on their own. Anti-infective medicines may be used.
Cure rates are generally greater than 80%. Drug resistance may be a factor in treatment failures, sometimes requiring a change in antibiotic therapy.
In pregnant women, treatment should wait until after delivery, because some of the drugs used to treat the infection can be harmful to the unborn baby.
It is common for the infection to go away on its own. However, persistent infections have been reported and need further antibiotic treatment. Some people who have had Giardia infections for a long time continue having symptoms even after the infection has gone.
Call your health care provider if:
Garcia LS. Protozoa: intestinal and urogenital amebae, flagellates and ciliates. In: Cohen J, Powderly WG, eds. Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2004: chap 242.
Hill DR. Giardia lamblia. In: Mandell, GL, Bennett, JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005: chap 277.
Huston CD. Intestinal protozoa. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Sleisenger MH, eds. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2006: chap 106.