Giardia Lamblia Center - Mission, TX
Mission Gastroenterologist Doctors for Giardia LambliaType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Mission * Ralph Alhalel MD  Ralph Alhalel MD  K Vijaya Chowdary MD  Fatih Ozcelebi MD  South Texas Gastroenterology Associates  South Texas Gastroenterology Associates  South Texas Gastroenterology Associates  South Texas Gastroenterology Associates  South Texas Gastroenterology Associates  Mid Valley Gastroenterology  Oral C James MD  Roberto Ponce MD Mission, TexasUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
2012-06-17
2012-06-17
2012-06-23
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2012-11-11
Giardia LambliaRead the Giardia Lamblia article » What is giardiasis?Giardiasis (gee-ar-die-a-sis with a soft "G") is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the parasite, Giardia intestinalis, also known as Giardia lamblia. It is the most common cause of parasitic gastrointestinal disease; it is estimated that up to 2.5 million cases of giardiasis occur each year in the U.S., and up to 20% of the world's population is chronically infected. Giardia lamblia exists in two forms, an active form called a trophozoite, and an inactive form called a cyst. The active trophozoite attaches to the lining of the small intestine with a "sucker" and is responsible for causing the signs and symptoms of giardiasis. The trophozoite cannot live long outside of the body, therefore it cannot spread the infection to others. The inactive cyst, on the other hand, can exist for prolonged periods outside the body. When it is ingested, stomach acid activates the cyst, and the cyst develops into the disease-causing trophozoite. It takes ingestion of only ten cysts to cause infection. Trophozoites are important not only because they cause the symptoms of giardiasis, but also because they produce the cysts that exit the body in the feces and spread the infection to others. Cysts of Giardia are present in the feces of infected persons. Thus, the infection is spread from person to person by contamination of food with feces, or by direct fecal-oral contamination. Cysts also survive in water, for example in fresh water lakes and streams. As a result, giardiasis is the most common cause of water-borne, parasitic illness in the U.S.. Domestic mammals (for example, dogs, cats, calves) and wild mammals (for example, beavers) can become infected with Giardia; however, it is not clear how often domestic or wild mammals transmit giardiasis to humans. Giardiasis also has occurred as outbreaks from recreational water sources such as swimming pools, water pa... Recommended Reading Related to Giardia LambliaDiarrhea facts
Other Related Giardia Lamblia ArticlesEmergency Contact for Mission
Nearby Mission Hospitals *Mission Regional Medical Center McAllen Medical Center LifeCare Hospitals of South Texas McAllen Campus South Rio Grande Regional Hospital McAllen Heart Hospital LifeCare Hospitals of South Texas McAllen Campus North Edinburg Regional Medical Center Doctors Hospital At Renaissance Cornerstone Regional Hospital Knapp Medical Center Starr County Memorial Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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