Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Extra-intestinal and long term consequences of Giardia duodenalis infections

2013; Baishideng Publishing Group; Volume: 19; Issue: 47 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3748/wjg.v19.i47.8974

2219-2840

Marie C. M. Halliez,

Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics

Giardiasis is the most common waterborne parasitic infection of the human intestine worldwide.The etiological agent, Giardia duodenalis (syn.G. intestinalis , G. lamblia ), is a flagellated, binucleated protozoan parasite which infects a wide array of mammalian hosts.Human giardiasis is a true cosmopolitan pathogen, with highest prevalence in developing countries.Giardiasis can present with a broad range of clinical manifestations from asymptomatic, to acute or chronic diarrheal disease associated with abdominal pain and nausea.Most infections are self-limiting, although re-infection and chronic infection can occur.Recent evidence indicating that Giardia may cause chronic post-infectious gastrointestinal complications have made it a topic of intense research.The causes of the post-infectious clinical manifestations due to Giardia , even after complete elimination of the parasite, remain obscure.This review offers a state-of-the-art discussion on the long-term consequences of Giardia infections, from extra-intestinal manifestations, growth and cognitive deficiencies, to post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome.The discussion also sheds light on some of the novel mechanisms recently implicated in the production of these postinfectious manifestations.