Giardia Lamblia Center - Pittsfield, MA
Pittsfield 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 Pittsfield * Veronica Deyeso MD  Surgical Specialists of Western New England PC  Surgical Specialists of Western New England PC  Central Berkshire Gastroenterology  Central Berkshire Gastroenterology  Timothy C Counihan MD  Central Berkshire Gastroenterology  Central Berkshire Gastroenterology  Berkshire Gastroenterology  Greylock Gastroenterology  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Hampshire Gastroenterology Associates  Noble Hospital  Medical Surgical Specialists of Westfield  Diane DeBenedetto MD  Franklin Gastroenterology  Western Massachusetts GI Associates PC  Holyoke Specialty Surgeons  Western Massachusetts GI Associates PC  RiverBend Medical Group Chicopee Office  Springfield Medical Associates  Springfield Medical Associates  Springfield Medical Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Western Mass Gastroenterology Associates  Hampden County Physician Associates LLC  Baystate Gastroenterology  Baystate Gastroenterology  RiverBend Medical Group  Quaboag Gastroenterology  T K Thomas MD  John G Stagias MD  A Tariq Malik MD  Edmund J Taylor MD Pittsfield, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-06-10
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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
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Nearby Pittsfield Hospitals *Berkshire Medical Center BMC Hillcrest Campus Austen Riggs Center Fairview Hospital North Adams Regional Hospital Samaritan Hospital Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Albany Memorial Hospital St Mary's Hospital Troy Northampton VA Medical Center Stratton VA Medical Center at Albany Albany Medical Center Albany Medical Center South Clinical Campus Capital District Psychiatric Center Columbia Memorial Hospital St Peter's Hospital Cooley Dickinson Hospital Noble 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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