Giardia is a relatively simple eukaryotic microbe, causing acute and chronic diarrhea which has been used as a model to understand complex biological processes occurring in eukaryotic cells. Further, due to its parasitic lifestyle, Giardia is an excellent system for the study of the mechanisms of adaptation and cell differentiation from the perspectives of molecular and cell biology. This book presents a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge regarding all aspects of Giardia’s biology, including epidemiology, cell and molecular biology, genetics, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and clinical treatment. It was written by internationally renowned authors, the leading researchers in the field including several chapters with techniques and resources available for the study of this microorganism. Questions that need to be addressed to fully understand the molecular mechanisms of the parasite as well as the cause of its pathology are presented. Furthermore, Giardia’s biology is compared with that of other parasites in relation to their complexity. This volume is an indispensable resource for researchers working with this parasite. It is a “must” for libraries and the bookshelves of everyone interested in the biology of parasites and early-branching eukaryotes.

The intestinal protozoan Giardia was first described over 300 years ago in 1681 by Leeuwenhoek, from his own stools. In his description of Giardia, he noted the size, movement, and morphology of the organism, and associated its presence with the diarrheic nature of his stools and his dietary habits. This truly remarkable account contains the first description of Giardia in morphologic, pathogenic, and epidemiologic terms. Our knowledge of the organisms in the genus Giardia has advanced tremendously in the past two decades. With the advent of new tech nologies, including techniques in electron microscopy, biochemistry, immunochemistry, tissue culture, and physiology, a tidal wave of information has appeared on the organization and function of this parasitic protozoan and its interaction with its host. The purpose of this book is to celebrate the tricentennial discovery of Giardia by Leeuwenhoek by presenting the above-mentioned advances in our knowledge of Giardia and giardiasis. In the first section of this book, the dominant theme is the biology of the organism and the correlation of structure-function relationships.

Malaria causes hundreds of thousands of human deaths every year, and the World Health Assembly has made it a priority. To help eliminate this disease, there is a pressing need for the development and implementation of new strategies to improve the prevention and treatment, due in part to antimalarial drug resistances. This chapter focuses on two strategies to inactivate the malaria parasite in blood, which are photodynamic therapy (PDT) and inhibition of hemozoin formation. The PDT strategy permits either a control of the proliferation of mosquito larvae to develop some photolarvicides for the prevention or a photoinactivation of the malaria parasite in red blood cells (RBCs) to minimize infection transmission by transfusion. The inhibition of hemozoin formation strategy is used for the development of new antimalarial drug by understanding its formation mechanism.

Giardia and Giardiasis, Volume 106 in Advances in Parasitology series includes in the first part aspects of molecular and cellular biology of Giardia and the role of particular molecules or molecular groups in essential functions and/or trafficking in the parasite. These approaches are with the aim to explore how this parasite adapts to an ever-changing environment both within and outside of the host animal. Subsequently a comprehensive description of virulence factors secreted by Giardia, are reviewed on their cytotoxic mechanisms and roles in the pathophysiology of giardiasis, and also a description on the potential of these secreted molecules as targets for drugs is included. In the context of the immuno-pathogenesis of giardiasis a review on the data and information on innate and adaptive immunity to Giardia, is included as well as a discussion on how improved knowledge of immunity is advancing our understanding of the pathogenesis and clinical outcomes of giardiasis. The final part of this volume includes a review of the epidemiology of giardiasis in a veterinary context using molecular tools together with a discussion of the current status of the species and assemblages of Giardia, and issues surrounding the assignment of host specificity and the zoonotic potential using current molecular markers.

Focusing solely on uveitis care, this quick reference guide will provide a compiled and easy to navigate differential diagnosis – making an often daunting task for clinicians easier, quicker, and more accurate by using a concise outline format to list the most critical aspects of a disease entity. Uveitis: A Quick Guide to Essential Diagnosis opens with a Diagnosis Flowchart, so that the reader can select the most probable diagnoses based on patient’s history and exam. From there the reader can then quickly turn to the corresponding chapter to learn about the most critical aspects of the disease entity: epidemiology, characteristic exam and imaging findings, prognostic factors, and treatment options. This book is written for ophthalmic care providers including general ophthalmologists, subspecialists, fellows, residents and optometrists and features research and contributions from institutions that are global leaders in uveitis care.

This book covers all aspects of research into Giardia as an organism and giardiasis the disease. It includes chapters on biochemistry, biology, detection and diagnosis, host-parasite relationships, immunoprophylaxis and immunotherapy, legislation and policy, therapeutics and new drug targets, water treatment and zoonotic transmission and epidemiology. It deals with Giardia in companion animals, in farm animals, and as a public health problem. Based on papers presented at the 2000 Giardia in the Rockies conference, held in Alberta, Canada, it contains contributions from leading international experts.

The most concise, comprehensive, and up-to-date medical microbiology & immunology review! Gives students the high-yield information they need to prepare for the USMLE Step 1 and course exams. Completely updated throughout, the new edition covers developments in HIV, hepatitis, smallpox, SARS, and more. Features case discussions, USMLE-style questions, and a USMLE-style practice exam.

New emerging diseases, new diagnostic modalities for resource-poor settings, new vaccine schedules ... all significant, recent developments in the fast-changing field of tropical medicine. Hunter’s Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 10th Edition, keeps you up to date with everything from infectious diseases and environmental issues through poisoning and toxicology, animal injuries, and nutritional and micronutrient deficiencies that result from traveling to tropical or subtropical regions. This comprehensive resource provides authoritative clinical guidance, useful statistics, and chapters covering organs, skills, and services, as well as traditional pathogen-based content. You’ll get a full understanding of how to recognize and treat these unique health issues, no matter how widespread or difficult to control. Includes important updates on malaria, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis and HIV, as well as coverage of Ebola, Zika virus, Chikungunya, and other emerging pathogens. Provides new vaccine schedules and information on implementation. Features five all-new chapters: Neglected Tropical Diseases: Public Health Control Programs and Mass Drug Administration; Health System and Health Care Delivery; Zika; Medical Entomology; and Vector Control – as well as 250 new images throughout. Presents the common characteristics and methods of transmission for each tropical disease, as well as the applicable diagnosis, treatment, control, and disease prevention techniques. Contains skills-based chapters such as dentistry, neonatal pediatrics and ICMI, and surgery in the tropics, and service-based chapters such as transfusion in resource-poor settings, microbiology, and imaging. Discusses maladies such as delusional parasitosis that are often seen in returning travelers, including those making international adoptions, transplant patients, medical tourists, and more.

This essential, authoritative handbook provides clear, accurate coverage of zoonoses — diseases that can spread from animals to humans. The consistent format helps you quickly locate key information, such as how each disease affects the host, how it is spread, how it is treated, and necessary safety precautions. It also discusses the importance of educating animal owners about the public health implications of zoonoses and how to prevent them from spreading. - Clear, concise coverage helps you respond quickly when presented with diseases that could potentially spread between patients, clients, and staff in the veterinary clinic. - Each disease entry begins with a chart of its potential morbidity (the rate of incidence of a disease) and mortality (death rate), giving you at-a-glance access to the chance of contracting the disease and the severity of the disease if contracted. - Clinically relevant coverage includes information on the etiology (bacterial, viral, parasitic, etc.), most common nonhuman hosts, transmission modes, course of the disease, clinical signs in animals and humans, diagnostic tests, prevention, and general advice. - Essential information on preventing the spread of disease helps you educate clients about how to protect themselves and their animals from zoonoses. - Coverage of diseases such as mad cow disease, West Nile virus, rabies, and anthrax, prepares you to answer client questions about diseases that are in the public eye.

The enteric protozoans Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are the most common diarrhoea-causing protozoan parasites worldwide. Cryptosporidium spp. is a leading cause of diarrhoea morbidity and mortality in children younger than 5 years of age in poor-resource settings in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Although infection by G. duodenalis is rarely a fatal condition, giardiasis is commonly associated with childhood growth faltering and cognitive impairment. Because of their significant socioeconomic impact, particularly in low-income countries, giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis joined the "Neglected Disease Initiative" launched by the World Health Organization in 2004. Both Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis are ubiquitous in the environment and can infect a wide range of hosts with different specificities, meaning that humans may acquire the infection via waterborne, foodborne, or zoonotic transmission. Recent advances in detection and molecular epidemiology have indicated that certain species/genotypes of Cryptosporidium and G. duodenalis have an expanded range of suitable hosts, suggesting that their transmission pathways are more intricate than previously thought, challenging our current notion of host specificities. Therefore, there is a clear need for more studies aiming at investigatingthat aim to investigate the frequency and molecular diversity of these parasites in humans, production and companion animals, and wildlife species. This information would be extremely useful to elucidate the transmission dynamics of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis, and to investigate the exact contribution of zoonotic events to human infections.