Symptoms usually begin approximately two weeks after exposure, however, many infected persons never develop symptoms. The illness caused by giardia may resemble many other illnesses. The appropriate method to confirm a giardia infection is by laboratory analysis of stool samples. Giardiasis is usually not life threatening to an otherwise healthy person. Medication can normally cure giardiasis in approximately 10 days.
Giardiasis commonly affects many members of the same family.
Giardiasis can be contracted by the consumption of unfiltered surface water, groundwater that allows the direct entry of surface runoff, or through other types of pollution. Giardiasis can also be acquired by ingestion of poorly washed food and by direct contact with the feces of animals or humans infected with the parasite. The DES laboratory does not analyze water samples for giardia. A partial list of laboratories performing this test is given on the reverse side of this document. Laboratory testing of water samples for giardia is very expensive and time consuming.