Protozoan or Fungal infection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Protozoan or Fungal infection - Essay Example It is one of the most common causes of endemic and epidemic (def) diarrhea all over the world. In the United States, it is the most commonly identified intestinal pathogen that is water-borne and this is evident from the fact that the protozoa has been detected in 80 percent of water supplies from raw sources and 15 percent of filtered water samples. Populations that are affected most commonly are children, travelers, homosexual individuals and those with immunodeficiencies (def). Until now, since 1960s, more than 90 outbreaks related to Giardia have occurred and these outbreaks have affected more than 23,000 individuals. There are some reports that the incidence of this infestation is more common in the Northern states. Internationally, Giardia is a major cause of childhood diarrhea epidemics in United Kingdom and other parts of the world. The prevalence rates are variable, between 4 to 42 percent. Giardiasis is not associated with mortality. Morbidity also is minimal and related to chronic infection. Transmission The life cycle of Giardia is simple and has 2 stages; the trophozoite (def) stage and the cysts (def) stage. The trophozoite exists in the small intestine of the human beings and the cyst exists in the environment. There are no intermediate hosts for this protozoa.