Late Summer Bellyache and Gas? It might be Giardia by Dallas
Virchow, School of Natural Resource Sciences, University of
Nebraska trophozoite of Giardia Late summer bellyache and
gas?...the problem may not be the chili dogs or barbeques.
What's the first microorganism probably seen under the
microscope by von Leewenhoek, has tiny hair to propel it through
your body, and only takes a few of them to give you a belly ache
or worse? Giardia. Giardia is also resistant to the typical
chlorine concentrations used in drinking or swimming pool water
and can stay alive in the soil. Fortunately, this relatively
large microbe that looks like a boogey-man with its flagella
under the microscope (image right), can be filtered out of
water. Fortunately too, giardiasis, once diagnosed, is easily
treated with one of several prescription drugs. Historically
known as "beaver fever", 40 species of Giardia are now known to
affect many kinds of rodents, amphibians, and mammals, including
domestic cats and dogs, and humans. The comm