giardia

Any of various flagellated, usually nonpathogenic protozoa of the genus Giardia that may be parasitic in the intestines of vertebrates including humans and most domestic animals.

[New Latin, after Alfred Mathieu Giard (1846–1908), French zoologist.]

A common genus of the flagellate protozoans. Many species of Giardia normally inhabit the digestive tract and cause inflammation in association with other factors that produce rapid proliferation of the organism.

A genus of flagellate protozoa parasitic in the intestines of most animals. They are capable of causing protracted, intermittent diarrhea suggestive of malabsorption, sometimes dysentery, but many infections may be non-symptomatic. Includes G. bovis (cattle), G. canis (dogs), G. caprae (goats), G. cati or G. felis (cats), G. caviae (guinea pigs), G. chinchillae (chinchillas), G. duodenalis (rabbits), G. equi (horses), G. felis (cats), G. intestinalis (G. lamblia; found in humans, pigs, budgerigars, monkeys), G. muris (mice, rats).

Giardia trophozoites. By permission from NelsonRW, Couto CG, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Mosby,2003