Drink only from water supplies that have been approved by local health authorities.
Bring your own water when you go camping or hiking, instead of drinking from sources like mountain streams.
Wash raw fruits and vegetables well before you eat them.
Wash your hands well before you cook food for yourself or for your family.
Encourage your child to wash his or her hands after every trip to the bathroom and especially before eating. If someone in your family has giardiasis, wash your hands often as you care for him or her.
Have your child wash his or her hands very well after handling anything in "touch tanks" in aquariums, which are also a potential source of giardiasis for children.
Have your water checked on a regular basis if it comes from a well.
Also, it's questionable whether infants and toddlers still in diapers should be sharing public pools. But certainly they should not if they're having diarrhea or loose stools (poop).
Contagiousness
People and animals (mainly dogs and beavers) who have giardiasis can pass the parasite in their stool. The stool can then contaminate public water supplies, community swimming pools, and "natural" water sources like mountain streams. infected family dog with diarrhea may pass the parasite to human family members who take care of the sick animal.
Diagnosis
Doctors confirm the diagnosis of giardiasis by finding Giardia parasites in an infected person's stool (poop). Stool samples are sent to the laboratory for examination. Several samples may be needed before the parasites are found.
Less often, doctors make the diagnosis by looking at the lining of the small intestine with an instrument called an endoscope and taking samples from inside the intestine to be sent to a laboratory. This is done in more extreme cases, when a definite cause for the diarrhea hasn't been found.
Treatment
Giardiasis is treated with prescription medicines that kill the parasites. Treatment typically takes 5 to 7 days, and the medicine is usually given as a liquid that your child can drink. Some of these medicines may have side effects, so your doctor will tell you what to watch for.
If your child has giardiasis and your doctor has prescribed medication, be sure to give all doses on schedule for as long as your doctor directs. This will help your child recover faster and will kill parasites that might infect others in your family. Again, encourage all family members to wash their hands frequently, especially after using the bathroom and before eating.
A child who has diarrhea from giardiasis may lose too much fluid in the stool and become dehydrated. Make sure the child drinks plenty of fluids - but no caffeinated beverages, because they make the body lose water faster.
Ask the doctor before you give your child any nonprescription drugs for cramps or diarrhea because these medicines may mask your child's symptoms and interfere with treatment.
Duration
The incubation period for giardiasis is 1 to 3 weeks after exposure to the parasite. In most cases, treatment with 5 to 7 days of antiparasitic medication will help children recover within a week's time. Medication also shortens the time that children are contagious. If giardiasis isn't treated, symptoms can last up to 6 weeks or longer.
When to Call Your Child's Doctor
Call the doctor whenever your child has:
- large amounts of diarrhea, especially if he or she also has a fever and/or abdominal pain
- occasional, small episodes of diarrhea that continue for several days, especially if appetite is poor, and your child is either gradually losing weight or isn't gaining as much as expected
Reviewed by: Joel Klein, MD