Giardiasis in Colombia: a Review of the Current Knowledge

This article aims to review the current prevalence of human giardiasis in Colombia, using data published in scientific literature available until January 2018.Recent FindingsAccording to the last Colombian National Survey of Intestinal Parasites in 2015 conducted in school children, giardiasis continues to be a public health problem, with a prevalence of 15.4% similar to that reported in the population-based survey performed in 1980 (18.4%).SummarySeveral protozoa and helminthes affect the health in patients from Colombia, but giardiasis is a serious problem, especially in children, for whom consumption of non-drinkable water is the principal risk factor for getting giardia cysts. This review presents information about the prevalence of giardiasis in Colombian people, the techniques used for diagnosis including genotyping, and some reports about animals, water, and soil as a source of infection.
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research