Giardia duodenalis
Giardia duodenalis
Taxonomy
- Kingdom Protozoa
- Phylum Metamonada
- Class Trepomonadea
- Order Giardiida
- Family Giardiidae
- Genus Giardia
Final host
Mammals
Morphology
Trophozoites have a pyriform, bilaterally symmetrical body (≈ 12-15 x 5-9 µm) The dorsal side is convex and there is a large sucking disc on the ventral side There are two anterior nuclei, two slender axostyles, four pairs of flagella and a pair of median bodies Cysts are ovoid (≈ 8-12 x 7-10 µm) and contain four nuclei
Cycle
Direct (faecal-oral route)
Location
Small intestine
Feeding
Holozoic (phagocytosis, pinocytosis)
Diagnostic
Cyst and trophozoyte
Transmission
Cyst
