People usually become infected by drinking contaminated, unpurified water. Amoeba can also be transmitted sexually if there is any sort of oral contact with feces. An amoebic infection requires treatment with two antibiotics, metronidazole and iodoquinol, in order to kill and remove both the adult amoeba and amoebic cysts. Giardia Giardia is a water-borne parasite that inhabits streams and wells and can be found in unpurified drinking water. Like amoeba, giardia can be transmitted sexually if there is any sort of oral contact with feces.
Treatment usually involves metronidazole.
Back to top Cryptosporidiosis Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a microorganism known as Cryptosporidium parvum. Like amoeba and giardia, C. parvum lives in the feces of animals and people. People can become infected by eating contaminated food or water and it can be transmitted sexually, if there is any sort of oral-feces contact. Before the use of antiretroviral therapy, many people had cryptosporidiosis, and it was very difficult to treat. Now, people who are taking antiretrovirals rarely suffer from cryptosporidiosis.