Looking at Giardia pictures can help to better illustrate characteristics of the parasite and explain how it can be transmitted to water or food. This is especially important given the prevalence of this microscopic parasite throughout the world. The Giardia pictures presented here reveal what the parasite looks through various imaging techniques, including scanning electronic micrographs, photomicrographs, and photographs.
Giardia lamblia (also known as Giardia intestinalis) is a single-celled microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal illness giardiasis. This parasite was initially named Cercomonas intestinalis by Lambl in 1859 and renamed Giardia lamblia by Stiles in 1915, in honor of Professor A. Giard of Paris and Dr. F. Lambl of Prague. However, many consider the name Giardia intestinalis to be the correct name for this parasite.
Once an animal or person has been infected with Giardia, the parasite lives in the intestine and is passed in the stool. Because the parasite is protected by an outer shell, it can survive outside the body and in the environment for long periods of time. Giardia is often found in soil, food, water, and surfaces that have been contaminated with the feces of infected humans or animals.
This Giardia picture utilizes an iodine-staining technique to show a Giardia lamblia cyst.
Giardia lamblia is one of the most common intestinal parasites worldwide, infecting up to 20 percent of the world's population. It is most prevalent in developing countries, where infections are associated with poor sanitary conditions.
This photomicrograph uses an indirect immunofluorescence test for giardiasis to show Giardia lamblia parasites.