Giardia lamblia
This assay is only available as part of a panel and cannot be ordered individually.
Giardia lamblia (also known as G. intestinalis and G. duodenalis) is the most common intestinal parasite of humans identified in the United States.1 Giardia infection occurs following consumption of Giardia cysts through fecally contaminated water or food, or through person-person contact. Giardia is found worldwide and is commonly found in travelers to disease-endemic areas, children in day-care facilities and sexually active homosexual men, but it can also be found in the general population.1,2 The overall prevalence of Giardia ranges from one to seven percent in industrialized countries, to five to 50 percent in developing countries. Giardia infection can result in acute self-limited diarrhea, or a chronic syndrome of diarrhea, abdominal cramps, malabsorption, and weight loss.3
References
1. Chako CZ, Tyler JW, Schultz LG, Chiguma L, Beernsten BT. Cryptosporidiosis in people: it's not just about the cows. J Vet Intern Med. 2010 Jan-Feb:24(1):37-43.
2. Navaneetham U, Giannella RA. Mechanisms of infectious diarrhea. Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Nov:5(11):637-47.
3. Kappagoda S, Singh U, Blackburn BG. Antiparasitic therapy. Mayo Clin Proc. 2011 Jun:86(6):561-83.
Specimens are approved for testing in New York only when indicated in the Specimen Information field above.
The CPT codes provided are based on Viracor Eurofins' interpretation of the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and are provided for general informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Questions regarding coding should be addressed to your local Medicare carrier. Viracor Eurofins assumes no responsibility for billing errors due to reliance on the CPT codes illustrated in this material.