Giardiasis and your relevance in public health

Abstract

Giardiasis is classified as a disease of social character; its epidemiology is directly related to the socioeconomic profile of the population. The protozoan named as Giardia lamblia is responsible for diarrhea, dehydration, distension, abdominal pain and weight loss. This is due to the fixation of the trophozoite form in the enterocyte, in addition to its dispersion throughout the duodenum region. Through contact between humans and animals, the giardia cycle can promote a zoonotic infection, because of the numerous sources of infection, especially fecal-oral contamination or ingestion of contaminated water. Different diagnostic methods are used to ascertain whether the animal is positive for giardia, and the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay method is considered more reliable for this case. Among the numerous treatment protocols described in the literature, the primacy for the use of the drugs as metronidazole, tinidazole and furazolidone is evident. Prophylaxis consists in maintaining good personal hygienic habits, emphasizing mainly the correct washing of the hands as the most efficient. The present work aims to conduct a literature review on giardiasis, commenting on its etiology, epidemiological aspects, pathogenesis, clinical signs, forms of diagnosis and treatment. Thus, in order to enrich the information about the disease for health professionals and seeking to update the debate about it, emphasizing its importance.