However, accurate identification is done on a permanently stained faecal smear. Cysts are more commonly seen than the trophozoite. Giardia lamblia Introduction Giardia lamblia is a flagellate of world-wide distribution. It is more common in warm climates than temporal climates. It is the most common flagellate of the intestinal tract, causing Giardiasis .
Humans are the only important reservoir of the infection.
The infection is most common in parts of the world where sanitation is at its lowest. Giardiasis is an infection of the upper small bowel, which may cause diarrhoea. Only Giardia spreads disease. They attach themselves to the surface of the jejunal or duodenal mucosa by their disc-like suckers which are found on their ventral surface. They multiply in the gut by binary fission.