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.

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.

This book examines the two major parasite groups that are transmitted via water or foods: the single-celled protozoa, and the helminths: cestodes (tapeworms), nematodes (round worms), and trematodes (flukes). Each chapter covers the biology, mechanisms of pathogenesis, epidemiology, treatment, and inactivation of these parasites. This important new text offers a better understanding of the biology and control of parasitic infections necessary to reduce or eliminate future outbreaks in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Giardia and Giardiasis Volume 107-Part B, in the Advances in Parasitology series, is dedicated to aspects of cytoskeletal structure of this parasite with an emphasis on insights of new components and their function in trophozoites. Further, microtubule function and its critical involvement in motility, attachment, mitosis and cell division as well as in transitions between developmental stages are reviewed. Also a comprehensive revision in the progress of tools to explore and understand the functional biology of Giardia, its coding and non-coding genes, features and cellular and molecular biology is contained in this volume. Additionally, an exciting perspective on the interactions between Giardia and intestinal epithelial cell by reviewing transcriptomic and proteomic investigations is included along with a state-of-the art of the understanding pathophysiology of giardiasis and of how Giardia can cause post-infectious and extra-intestinal complications. A complete review of current knowledge including commonly prescribed drugs, causes of therapeutic fails, drug resistance mechanisms, strategies for the discovery of new agents for alternative drug therapies is covered. Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field of parasitology Includes medical studies of parasites of major influence Features reviews of more traditional areas, such as zoology, taxonomy and life history which help to shape current thinking and applications

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. Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field of parasitology Includes medical studies of parasites of major influence Features reviews of more traditional areas, such as zoology, taxonomy, and life history, which help to shape current thinking and applications

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.