Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Parasite Giardia, Ashley Anderson

Honors Theses

The focus of this research is to better understand how this parasite works. The protozoan Giardia spp is found all over the world and in many species such as dogs, cats, and humans. From its two different forms to the microscopic size of both forms to its ability to destroy intestinal villi and cause symptoms like other parasitic infections, Giardia spp is continuously misdiagnosed. Upon further observation at veterinary clinics and researching science articles, Giardia spp is most commonly found in pets but has the potential to spread to humans via contaminated water. The most commonly infected humans are hikers, …